


A For Animus

by L_awlietxoxx



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-26 07:53:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 112,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_awlietxoxx/pseuds/L_awlietxoxx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris has spent the span of his young life in a city ruled by a purely selfish totalitarian regime. Homosexuality is outlawed, a nightly curfew is upheld, and police brutality is a prevalent everyday fear. One night, Kris learns about a mysterious, masked figure known only as 'A', after stumbling into a rally of the vigilante's supporters cheering for the downfall of the government. Immediately intrigued by the shadowy figure, Kris unexpectedly meets him face to face when his place of employment becomes 'A's' next target. Kris' fascination grows as their paths continue to cross, and his feelings gradually begin to change towards the figure who first struck fear in him. A shadowy, unnamed figure behind a mask quickly begins becoming much more.<br/>(In short, a V For Vendetta-based AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this labor of love's been in the works for a little over a year now. It's finally getting posted and I couldn't be more excited! Before going any further, many thanks are due to my great beta, astiga0802 from Livejournal. And now, I hope some people will enjoy reading this at least half as much as I enjoyed writing it. The whole thing is finished, but I'll be posting in either four or five parts over the next couple days, just because the whole thing's over 100k and I might not want it to be finished quite yet. But I promise not to keep anyone waiting - the whole thing will be up in a week, tops! Now, I hope you enjoy. :)

Kris could barely hear his own thoughts or feel his own heartbeat over the pounding rhythm of the music thumping through the nightclub. He could feel the beat of the music down to his toes, shaking its way through him. Usually he was able to lose himself in this music and get lost on the dance floor with some nameless beautiful face, but tonight, instead of checking out the guys, Kris couldn’t keep his eyes off the clock. Despite the deafening music, the time was taking up all his attention. Or more specifically, the lateness of the time, and his friends’ obvious obliviousness to it. Cale and Charles were drunk and Kris seemed to be the only one who realized there were only twenty minutes until curfew. 

It was 12:10 AM, and at 12:30 the government police would start patrolling the streets. Kris had heard more than enough stories of harassment and abuse of curfew-breakers at the hands of the police. That was why he, Charles, and Cale were usually on their way home by now. But it seemed that Kris’ friends had had a little more than usual tonight and he was the only one who recognized their current predicament.

A guy worked his way up behind Kris. Heavy hands landed on his waist and the guy pressed hot breath laced with a request to dance against Kris’ ear while his hips already started pressing against Kris’. Kris was only irritated in response. He quickly declined and untangled himself from the guy’s grabbing hands. He made a beeline for the bar, where his friends were seated.

“Guys! We need to leave now to make curfew! It’s almost 12:30!”

But much to his chagrin, Kris’ friends only seemed to brush him off.

“Don’t worry so much, Kris,” Cale garbled, his speech slurred, “We can sleep here, y’know. They know that not everyone can get home in time for curfew. They let people sleep here.”

“I don’t want to fucking sleep here! We need to leave!” Kris exclaimed, growing exasperated as his words just seemed to fall on deaf ears. Charles and Cale’s attention had already shifted away from him. Trying to talk to them seemed futile, they were far too intoxicated.

“Fine,” Kris shouted over the music. “You guys stay here. But I’m gonna leave now and try to get home in time!”

Cale and Charles both made indistinct noises of acknowledgement. Kris really didn’t like the idea of leaving them when they were so inebriated, but seeing as he certainly wasn’t willing to sleep in this dirty night club, it seemed his only option. He grabbed his coat and headed out into the night.

 

The streets were already almost empty. The rumors and horror stories about the police were enough to send most citizens scurrying home long before curfew. Kris wished he’d done the same, and he hurried through the cold night air in the direction of his apartment building. Despite the street lights lining the roads in regular intervals, the city held an eerie, empty, almost ghostly atmosphere after nightfall. It always seemed a tad too quiet, a tad too dark, and being outside this late in the night always made Kris anxious. His steps quickened in attempt to hurry away from all the unpleasantries his imagination pictured hidden behind every corner.

He was only a few blocks away from his apartment building when he heard it. The sound was so dim he could barely pick it out, yet sounded so strange and curious that he had to stop to listen, despite his eagerness to get home. It sounded like the garbled mass of hundreds of different voices, all talking and shouting together. Kris thought he heard a group of them occasionally break out in some kind of chant that would be shouted and repeated. Over the dim roar of the distant voices, there were crashes and the sound of shattering glass. Windows being smashed, Kris thought. 

What in all hells was going on out in the streets this late? It sounded like far too many people gathered together to be the police. There was only a small group of them that patrolled each area of the city. The governor would contact the prime minister to call in more forces in cases of emergencies, but Kris couldn’t think of anything that could have possibly happened that night to warrant such a huge amount of soldiers being gathered. No, if something on such a large scale had occurred, Kris would have heard about it.

Kris looked down the road, towards where he knew his safe, warm apartment was only a few minutes’ walk away. He was being pulled in the opposite direction; his curiosity gnawing at him, compelling him to follow the voices. He’d never heard anything like this, never experienced something like this before. He glanced at his wristwatch. Seven minutes until curfew.

Fuck it, he had to know. 

Kris pulled his coat tighter around himself and turned off of his normal route home. He knew this wasn’t the smartest decision – he knew it was probably dangerous. But, after all, if curiosity killed the cat, it was satisfaction that brought him back.

Kris walked on down the dimly-lit streets, following the din of voices. After only a few minutes, he could already hear them drawing closer. The nearer and louder the noise became, the more nervous Kris felt. What if it was a big group of police? They’d arrest him for sure for being out so close to curfew. But the closer Kris got, the less the gathering sounded like anything related to the government. It sounded too raucous, too unorderly. Kris was sure it sounded like regular citizens. He heard another smash, another crashing sound. Instead of fleeing in the opposite direction, he hurried on.

Soon, Kris could hear the chanting only a few blocks away. That was when Kris realized he recognized where he was walking. It was the way he walked to work every day. If Kris were to turn right at the next intersection, he would reach the city’s commerce building, where he worked as a secretary. This was the area of town where all the government buildings were located, and Kris could hear the mass of voices coming from the plaza at the very center.

Finally, Kris turned the corner and saw the crowd. Shock shook him to the core. He had never seen anything like this before. 

A huge group of people had gathered, completely filling and overflowing from the plaza. They were all dressed in black, and they shouted varied, overlapping chants, holding their fists and torches in the air. Kris watched with horror and a dark thrill curling through him as the windows of the police headquarters were smashed. Kris tried to make out some of the rally cries being shouted amongst the mess of voices.

“Down with oppression! Down with oppression!”  
“Prime minister is a prime monster!”  
“Death to the regime! Death to the regime!”

Kris was shocked to the very core. Nobody said things like this. Nobody had the guts to voice such treason. Exclamations like this got people the death sentence. The death sentence would be lenient, if you weren’t tortured and made an example of first. 

Yet, here were these people – gathered in the streets after the fall of curfew and shouting their protests clear as day. Deep down, a part of Kris was excited, thrilled that a demonstration like this was actually taking place. Just because he worked at a government building didn’t mean he agreed with their policies. How could he agree with a government that took away peoples’ rights and paid no attention to the welfare of its citizens?

Kris was pulled abruptly from his thoughts when he heard someone standing near him begin to shout. Kris looked over, and saw the woman who’d started yelling was pointing up towards the roof of one of the surrounding buildings.

“It’s A! He’s there! He’s there!” she was shouting with excitement. It wasn’t until then that Kris spotted the dark figure of a person standing on the rooftop. More people around Kris started to notice the figure as well, all growing restless and eager. Kris tried to squint to see the person better. The figure was dressed entirely in black, a long cloak flapping about his back in the wind. Most of his form was shrouded in shadow, but there was one more detail Kris couldn’t miss. His face was covered entirely by a pale white mask. A wide, grinning mouth was painted onto the mask in red, so bright that Kris could see it from where he stood on the ground.

The people surrounding Kris had by now begun to chant in unison, “A! A! A!”

Kris was perplexed; he’d never seen this ‘A’ person before or even heard of him. Was he some kind of rebel working against the government? Was that why the people were rallying behind him? People like this just didn’t exist…the idea seemed ridiculous to Kris. At least, no one like this existed in this city, where the government kept its oppressive clutches unbreakable and unyielding. There was no way a rebel figure such as this could exist for very long without being hunted down and made quick work of. The government was too powerful, and had too many resources. 

Yet, there the man stood, clear as day, and all the people around Kris were shouting his name with such fervor, obviously believing in and supporting whatever it was he stood for. 

The peoples’ conviction and fervor were unbelievable, and infectious. Kris found himself getting pulled in and caught up in their fever of passion. Deep down, he’d harbored resentment towards the government for as long as he could remember, but he’d always been too frightened, too wary of their power to ever voice or do anything about it. But now, he was just a face in this sea of people who felt the same way. People who were expressing their anger, and letting out their frustration towards the government that had leveled nothing but oppression and cruelty on them their entire lives long. Kris suddenly felt himself a part of the group, connected to these people. Without even realizing he’d done it, he started shouting and chanting along with them.

That same moment was when the screams began. Startled, Kris looked around and then saw the lines of armed police that had begun advancing on the crowd from all directions. They held huge shields to push the people back, and carried cudgels in their other hands. Kris knew the police wouldn’t hesitate to use them. Fear exploded within Kris, all traces of his euphoria from only moments ago having fled. 

He looked around in a craze, trying to find an alley or side street he could escape down. His eyes fell back on the rooftop for only a second where the masked figure had stood. Kris could only barely register that he had disappeared. The police had descended on the crowd, beginning to beat them back from any hopes of escaping. Kris panicked. He had to get away, but his legs were frozen, not knowing where to go. The police seemed to be advancing from all directions. 

Then, thankfully Kris spotted a dark side street – the only one in sight that the police weren’t approaching from. Kris started pushing his way desperately through the crowd, trying his best to shout to the people around him to escape the same way. He couldn’t even tell if anyone was following him. All he could do once he reached the entrance of the street was to run, run, and run, as fast as his legs could carry him. He heard shouting and screaming coming from behind him, but he couldn’t even slow down to look behind him. Even after he’d lost his breath and his sides were aching, he kept on running.

His small, humble apartment had never seemed so welcoming.

 

It took Kris a while to calm down, for him to catch his breath and even longer for the shaking to stop. When his heart rate had slowed from a breakneck pace and he could think clearly again, the first thing he did was open up his laptop with the intent to find something about the ‘A’ character he’d seen on the rooftop. The people in the plaza had not only recognized him, but had seemed devoted to him as well. What could the man have done to inspire such behavior? 

Kris knew he would find nothing on the internet. The net was regulated and censored by the government, so all content regarding any kind of resistance movements would be blocked. But one perk in working for the government was that Kris had come to know all about their censoring regulations and how to get around them. There was a kind of ‘underground net’ that existed, and Kris had learned years ago how to access it. Once he coded his way in, he ran a search. He found a picture almost instantly. When he enlarged it, a shiver went through him. It was unmistakably the same figure he’d seen on the roof. The photograph had been taken from a distance in the dark streets. Most of his figure, shrouded in black, was impossible to discern from the shadows. But his pale mask stood out almost eerily – just a bright, leering face, grinning an impossibly wide smile from the darkness. Kris exited the picture. It was definitely him. Kris began scrolling through all the pages his search had yielded. There was so much to read through, but Kris soon found himself fascinated and reading almost everything he came across. 

No one knew who he was or where he’d come from, and no one knew anything about him, except for what he stood for: the fall of the government. His first appearance had been when he’d blown up the building where a planned execution of rebels was to take place, and in the ensuing panic he’d freed the prisoners. In the year following the incident, four different government buildings were felled, all in different ways. ‘A’ had been spotted in the vicinity of all four on the days they’d been destroyed. The police had been exhausting themselves searching, but were never able to catch him. He would be seen for only a moment at each site he vandalized, then, would seem to vanish. The police could find no trace of him, and had no leads.

Then, over the course of one night in the previous year, posters had appeared all over the city. They all read the same thing. 

“I am the Animus in this city. I am the Amends our leaders will suffer. I am the flames that will set our government Ablaze.”

All the posters were removed by police within the hour, but their effect could not be undone. Two buildings of government property went up in smoke later that day. Everyone knew who had done it.

What ‘A’ was doing was unheard of. No one challenged the government because their power was absolute, and had no hesitation to use force and brutality against its people. So, since no one else could speak or act out against the government, most of the people had quickly become silent supporters of ‘A’.

This explains why the people in the plaza were so enthusiastic about seeing him, Kris thought. It seemed that all the peoples’ anger and bitterness towards the government was being acted upon through ‘A’.

Kris knew all about hating the government. He’d been made to feel a victim for as long as he could remember. Living under their laws; the curfew; the censorship of all media, the unchecked brutality of the police. And the worst of all was how they’d made it so the only place Kris could have any kind of romantic or sexual encounter was amongst raucous nightclubs, where police wouldn’t see. Homosexuals were among the people deemed ‘unwanted’ by the government. Any person who did anything to make themselves known as homosexual would soon be taken away by police and had who-knows-what done to them. Kris didn’t even want to think back to all the horrible stories he’d heard. The stories that filled him with so much fear, he was sure he’d spend his life alone because there was simply no way he could take such a risk of being caught. So all he could have were a few dances in a loud, packed nightclub where nobody would notice it was another man he was entangled with. 

But Kris didn’t think it was fair. He knew it wasn’t fair, and it enraged him. He’d never be able to have a lover or a boyfriend. Just like every other gay man or woman in this city, he’d have to spend his life alone, passively pretending to be straight. 

Kris clicked on another picture of the masked figure cloaked in black. Kris looked hard into the grinning, white face. He hoped this guy was worth all the commotion he’d caused.

Powering down his laptop, he thought aloud, “I’d better give Charles and Cale a call to check on them…”

 

As per usual, Kris was having an awful day at work. Kris’ drag job combined with Monday morning sluggishness never produced anything pleasant. But Kris kept his head down and kept on, knowing a job was a job and it meant a paycheck. He rode the elevators and climbed the stairs, up and down and back up, delivering mail or coffee or whatever else his bosses needed. He’d had this job for several months now at the government commerce building, and was only able to push through it repeating the mantra to himself that eventually he’d work his way up to something better. 

Kris sighed as his pager buzzed. He glanced at the screen, seeing a summons for him at the front desk in the lobby to pick up a package that had just been delivered. Kris took the stairs down. At least this job keeps me in shape, he thought wryly. 

“Who’s it for?” Kris asked as the receptionist behind the desk handed him a small, plain brown box. It didn’t seem to have any labels affixed to it.

“I’m not sure. It was just dropped off in front of the door a few minutes ago. Take it upstairs and ask around.”

Kris kept his groan internalized as he tucked the box under his arm and headed back for the stairs. What a pain, he’d have to stop in each office individually to ask who the delivery was for. 

Kris walked up to the second floor, where most of the offices were located. This floor was the busiest, but Kris had grown accustomed to slipping his way through the crowds of people always flowing through the wide hallways. Kris held the package tightly and continued on his way. 

He was just approaching the first office when he realized the box was growing warmer in his hands. He paused for a moment, puzzled, and looked down at the plain brown box. That was when the box exploded in his hands, spewing out a haze of smoke around him. People around Kris screamed in surprise, and rushed to get away from the dark smoke. Coughing, Kris backed up until he could breathe clear air again. People had crowded back against the walls of the hallway, watching the cloud of smoke warily. Kris was about to assure everyone in the hallway that it hadn’t been anyone setting a bomb or anything, just a prank or an incorrect delivery address…

Kris’ breath caught in his throat, choking him and preventing him from speaking, because sure enough, there was a shape in the smoke. As the haze slowly cleared, the shape became a figure. A figure dressed entirely in black. Kris couldn’t believe what he was seeing, his heart racing and leaping up into his throat as all of the stories he’d read and pictures he’d seen the night before undeniably came alive in front of him.

“You may recognize me. If not, all you need know is that I am known as ‘A’,” said the dark figure in a scratchy voice. All the people crammed in the hallway and all the people watching from the doorways of offices, they could all see the person in the smoke without mistake. But his form blinked and flickered just the slightest bit, and the tone of the recorded voice revealed that ‘A’s’ presence was a hologram. Kris suddenly realized that he’d unknowingly been carrying the hologram projector in the box, and it had activated after the box had exploded. 

“There is one other thing you need know about me,” the hologram continued, shrouded in the cloak and mask and the remaining tendrils of smoke, “And that is the fact that I am the end of this government’s reign. I will dismantle the regime piece by piece. Count yourselves lucky, for you’re standing in the building I have chosen as one of the first pieces to be destroyed. Now listen closely, for you will find that each word I am about to say will indeed come to fruition. In precisely T minus twenty minutes, I will enter this building in person, undetected. But I invite you to gather all of your police and military personnel, if you’d like to give your best attempt at stopping me. When I enter the building - and believe me, despite your best efforts, I will - this commerce building will be burnt to the ground, and your detestable monopoly and abuse of the trade networks will end, as all your records go up in smoke. I wish you all the best of luck and a pleasant day. I will be seeing you all in only a matter of minutes.”

Then the hologram figure disappeared, and a hushed silence seemed to fill the whole building.

A shout from within one of the offices broke the silence, “Call the police! Call the army! We’re going to stop this cocky son of a bitch once and for all!”

After that single shout had broken everyone from their stupors of shock, pandemonium burst into the building. People started rushing and running in all different directions. Most fled to the nearest exist, trying to get far away from where there soon be a confrontation between ‘A’ and the police. At the same time, security guards and personnel flooded into the hallway.

“Who was carrying this package?! Who brought the projector for the hologram inside?” demanded the guard who had just picked up the box from the floor and was currently inspecting it.

“Shit, shit,” Kris swore under his breath, entertaining the idea of pushing his way into the stream of people fleeing and just trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and this whole mess. But the guards were already looking around, already advancing on him.

“Sir, I did, but I had no idea what was in it!” Kris exclaimed, stumbling to stand on his shaky legs. “The receptionist in the ground floor lobby gave it to me! Believe me, I had no idea!” The guard who was still holding the box stepped up close right in front of Kris. Kris gulped fearfully. 

“We should take you in for questioning,” the guard sneered, “but right now we have much bigger concerns.”

Kris wasn’t sure if that meant he was getting off scot-free or not, but he was going to take that for all he could get. He turned and ran towards the nearest stairwell before the guard could change his mind. 

Now, Kris had a different problem all together. There were far too many people in this space, all trying to push through the hallway to reach the stairs that led downstairs and ultimately, outside. People from the upper floors were flooding down to this floor, then trying to make their way down the rest of the way to the ground floor. This space hadn’t been designed for this many people. Kris soon found himself pinned against the wall by the crush of people, still far too distant from the stairwell to have any hope of escaping through it. The elevator had long ago already become a helpless notion. There was no way for him to get out right now. He looked around in a panic, needing a way just to get out of the crush of people. He saw an office door along the wall just a few feet away and started slowly moving his way towards it. When he reached the door, he pushed it open and practically fell inside. He took a deep breath once he was freed from the claustrophobic press of people in the hallway. 

He looked around, thankfully finding the office empty. The television monitor affixed to the wall was turned on to the news station, where they were reporting on ‘A’s’ appearance and announcement. Kris reached up to turn the volume higher. 

There was a shot of the building from the air, showing the numerous police cars and military vehicles that were pulling up and creating a blockade around the building. Although it dismayed him, Kris wasn’t surprised that the government was focusing on setting up all its artillery and creating a blockade around the building in attempt to keep out ‘A’, without bothering to evacuate the building first. There would be no help from guards or police. Kris would somehow have to get out on his own. He looked back to the hallway, still teaming with people trying to fight their way outside. 

Cold fear suddenly gripped him. If ‘A’ made it past the blockade outside, the building would be razed to the ground. Kris had no doubt that ‘A’ would commit the arson he’d promised in his hologram message. But on the other hand, Kris knew the soldiers and police outside would stop at nothing in their attempts to capture and thwart ‘A’. They might even bring the building down themselves. Kris knew panicking wouldn’t get him anywhere, but he couldn’t help the way his heart was pounding against the inside of his chest. He had to get out, but he had no idea how. The hallway was all but impassable. Being of the short stature that he was, he knew he’d probably get pushed around and injured by the throngs of people before he got anywhere close to the exit. He started looking wildly around the office he was currently standing in, searching for any alternate way out. He raced over to the window, opened it, and looked outside. He swore under his breath. He was far too high up to even consider an attempt to go out the window. The hallway was his only option.

“Well Kris,” he said to himself, trying to even out his breathing and calm himself as much as he could, “Would you rather be trampled or burned alive?” 

Kris fell back against the wall behind him and slowly slid down into a sitting position, his knees pulled up to his chest. He took slow, deep breaths. He squeezed his eyes closed for a few seconds, pressing his face against his knees. It tampered his racing heart just a little, but he could still hear the panicked voices and shouts coming from the hallway. He could still hear the newsperson on the television, telling more and more about the developing situation at the commerce building. Oh why did Kris have to have this damn job here?

“Oh my…you viewers won’t believe this! And if you’re watching from the area where this is happening, listen closely!” Kris lifted his head, looking up to the TV screen. “Multiple people still inside have reported that ‘A’ has entered the building! He came in from the roof, completely evading the government blockade surrounding the building on the street! We urge all citizens in the area to evacuate immediately. ‘A’ is an extremely dangerous terrorist. The threat he issued stated he intends to burn down the building, but I doubt he would hesitate to kill anyone he finds left in the building.”

I think I’ll take being trampled. Kris jumped to his feet. There was no more time to be afraid. He had to get out, now. 

Without giving himself time to think too much about it, Kris pushed his way into the mass of people moving through the hallway. He was immediately pushed and pulled and shoved from all different directions, but he kept his eyes fixed on the entrance to the stairwell, just determined to keep making his way towards it little by little. There were a lot of people he had to push his way through, but they were all headed towards the same exit and moving in the same direction, so Kris just kept telling himself that if he moved with the flow, he’d reach the stairwell. 

Suddenly, Kris was lurched forward, his feet pulled out from underneath him as his feet were trodden over. Unable to regain his footing and balance, Kris tumbled to the side. His head slammed hard against the wall, with an impact that made his vision blink black. When his feet were released from the trampling that had been moving heedlessly over them, he could do nothing but crumple against the wall and slide to the ground. It was all he could do just to cling to consciousness. 

Still, the people flowed around him. A few noticed him laying strengthless and helpless on the floor, a few even leaned down to try shaking him alert, but the stairwell was so close and it would have been impossible to try carrying Kris anywhere. So, the panicked crowd left Kris behind. 

Got to get out, I’ve got to get out, Kris kept thinking to himself, but he was so lightheaded from the blow to his head that he barely had the strength to even keep his eyes open. Soon, the strain became too much and his eyes slid closed and he finally sank into peaceful darkness.

A few long minutes later, Kris regained consciousness and opened his eyes again. To his surprise, the hallway was empty. There wasn’t another person in sight. He managed to sit up, but he still had no chance of being strong enough to stand and get to the exit. He was startled suddenly by the sound of a crash coming from one of the floors above him. The noise was quickly followed by more, growing in volume. It sounded as if the building was blowing up above him. Then, he looked around again and saw the smoke beginning to permeate the hallway. Icy dread began to creep into his mind when he saw the smoke. When he breathed in and coughed, he smelled burning wood. He realized with a kind of horror and fear the likes of which he’d never felt before, that ‘A’ had already set his fire. The building was going to burn, with Kris still inside.

He couldn’t help but begin to hyperventilate with fear and panic, but that only caused him to cough from the smoke. His vision was starting to go blurry again, his head still woozy from the impact against the wall. 

He heard the sound of a door crashing open at the end of the hallway. Gasping for breath, he turned his head towards the direction where the sound had come from. He prayed to see anything but flames creeping down to this floor. What he saw certainly wasn’t fire, but with the fear that gripped him from the sight, it might as well have been. 

Unmistakable, with the dark cloak that dragged on the floor behind him and the grinning white mask; ‘A’ was striding down the hallway, through the smoke and right towards Kris. Despite the way Kris’ vision was beginning to swim, his panic took in every one of ‘A’s’ features. He was shrouded in black from head to toe – a rimmed black hat covering a wig of straight, shoulder-length black hair, black shirt and pants beneath the cloak, black gloves encasing his hands, black boots over his feet. The pale white of his mask stood out terrifyingly, a bright face smiling and gleaming through the smoke. The grinning lips were painted in blood red, below a shaped moustache of black. The small eyeholes were covered with black mesh, making his eyes dark, one-way windows. Kris shuddered in terror as the menacing figure approached more closely. But Kris had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. He hardly had the strength just to sit up, much less to run away.

As ‘A’ drew closer, Kris held his breath. He knew it was probably futile, but he thought perhaps if he didn’t cough from the smoke or make any noise, ‘A’ would just walk past and leave him in peace. But when ‘A’ was only a few strides away, close enough for Kris to see every feature in detail, he had to take a breath and a terrible cough overtook him. ‘A’ stopped immediately, turning his head in Kris’ direction. Kris’ small form huddled against the wall had been almost invisible through the curtain of smoke filling the hallway, but when Kris coughed, ‘A’ caught sight of him.

Kris saw ‘A’ stop. He watched with fear as ‘A’s’ masked face turned and looked upon him. Kris shrank back farther against the wall. Now, he wasn’t sure which was worse – being burned alive or killed by this character. As ‘A’ had come closer down the hallway, Kris had seen the sword hung at his hip, beneath the cloak. Kris was just beginning to be sure he’d prefer death by flames to being run through with a sword,…when the tall, dark figure standing before him spoke and said, “…I thought everyone had been cleared.” 

Or, at least that’s what Kris thought the man had said, through his swimming vision and pounding head. ‘A’ was coming nearer to him, but Kris didn’t even have the strength to shrink away.

Kris could only make out ‘A’ as a dark shape, through the thickening haze of smoke and his dancing vision, and his dark figure grew as he came nearer. 

“Don’t fear me. My purpose is not to kill anyone, especially not civilians,” ‘A’ said. His tone sounded like he was trying to reassure Kris, but his voice seemed to come from far away, like Kris had cotton stuffed in his ears. Kris couldn’t hold his head up any longer. The smoke was making it so hard to breathe and the pain in his head was so terrible…

Strengthless, Kris slumped to the side, but before he could crash to the ground, one of ‘A’s’ gloved hands came out to grip his shoulder to support him. “Try to hold your breath so you don’t breathe the smoke,” Kris heard him instruct, but Kris could barely manage breathing, much less the effort to hold his breath. Then, through his haze of pain and blurred vision, Kris felt ‘A’s’ hands maneuvering and pulling him forward. He’s going to hurt me…He’s going to kill me… was all Kris could think, and he weakly tried to pull away, murmuring desperate protests. Kris heard ‘A’ shush him. “Ssh, we have to get you out of here.” 

Then, the floor was falling away as ‘A’ lifted Kris up as if he weighed nothing. Kris’ head lolled weakly against ‘A’s’ shoulder, barely even recognizing exactly what was happening as ‘A’ began to carry him towards the stairwell and down the stairs. All Kris could see was that white face, so close above him; that mask that had made such raw fear erupt in him when he saw it coming towards him down the hallway, yet now was the face bringing him to safety. ‘A’s’ arms were strong, yet gentle beneath him, one under his shoulders and the other under his legs. 

The masked face spoke from above Kris, “There’s a side door, where no police will see me. I’ll have to take you there.” Kris felt ‘A’ take a few more long strides, and then Kris was breathing sweet, fresh air, clearing through the smoke in his lungs. He thought distantly that they must have reached the outside. They had passed through a small door on the ground floor that led outside and into a small alley. 

“They’ll find you when they search the whole perimeters looking for me,” ‘A’ said, and then Kris felt himself being lowered slowly to the ground. He couldn’t seem to let go where his arm had locked itself around the back of ‘A’s’ neck. The man gently pulled Kris’ arm away. 

“I’m sorry you were put in danger,” Kris heard ‘A’ tell him, and then ‘A’ was pulling back, moving away from him. He disappeared back through the door they had just come out of. Kris realized with a shock that he had slipped back into the burning building, and Kris felt a hint of fear for the life of the man who had just saved him.

Then there was the sound of shouting voices and heavy footsteps. A troupe of police emerged around the side of the building and started coming down the small alleyway. Kris heard, “Get this civilian out of the way!”, and then he was lifted from the ground again – in a stretcher this time -, and then the world fell away as he finally sank into true, blissful unconsciousness.

 

Kris opened his eyes to a pale white hospital ceiling. The first and only thing he could think about was the flare of pain in his head and he groaned. It felt as if something had smashed him right over the head. Then slowly, the memories started trickling back, and Kris remembered…oh right, it was a wall that had smashed his head. 

“Kris! Are you awake?” came a voice from Kris’ bedside. It took him a few seconds, but then Kris recognized it as belonging to Cale.

“Oh jeez, thank god!” then came Charles’ voice from Kris’ other side.

Squinting and wincing through his throbbing headache, Kris slowly looked between his two friends. He lifted his head up as much as he could, trying to look about the room.

“I’m in a hospital?” he asked weakly, his head falling back against the pillow. “How’d I get here?”

“Paramedics carried you out on a stretcher,” Cale explained, “You were the last person out. Charles and I were freaking out, we were sure you were dead… As soon as we’d heard what was happening we rushed to the Commerce building to see whether you’d gotten out.”

“Idiots, the police were telling everyone to get away from that area,” Kris said with a small smile and a chuckle, knowing his friends were never ones to obey orders from the government.

“Hey, we had to make sure you were okay and nothing was gonna stop that,” Charles said, and Kris smiled at him a bit. “And besides, it’s a damn good thing we came, too. We made sure you got to the hospital and got treated right away. Your head was bleeding a little bit.”

“Ah fuck, really?” Kris asked with a wince. He didn’t realize he’d banged his head that badly… “Has the bleeding stopped?”

“Don’t worry, it stopped almost as soon as they got you bandaged. You’ve been out of it for almost twelve hours but the bleeding hasn’t started again,” Cale told him.

“Any idea how long I’m going to be stuck in here for?” Kris asked.

Cale was quick to answer, “Hey, slow down, man. You had a pretty serious injury, almost a concussion. Spending a little time in here to recoup wouldn’t be a bad thing. Plus, um…well, you’re not going to like this, but you know the police are going to have to come in and question you a bit before you’re allowed to go anywhere. They came in here earlier today, saying they needed to ask you about the package you carried yesterday? We had no idea what they were talking about, but they’re going to be back later today to talk to you.”

Kris closed his eyes with a sigh. He should have known the police would make a bigger deal about that than was necessary. Although he had – albeit unknowingly – been the one to carry the hologram projector into the building through which ‘A’ had announced his intentions.

Kris’ attention was drawn to the TV in the room. It was on and turned to the news channel. The screen switched from the news anchor in the studio to live footage from the air of the Commerce Building – or rather, what was left of it.

“Oh God…” Kris breathed. He’d understood that this was ‘A’s’ intention, but seeing the building where he’d been working for the past months reduced to nothing but a huge, smoking pile of rubble was still jarring. The cameras then switched back to the newswoman behind her desk.

“The terrorist and menace known only as ‘A’ may have succeeded with his crime this time, but we do not expect he’ll be committing anymore. The fire was started from inside the building, the police were patrolling all of the exits as well as the surrounding area, and saw no trace of ‘A’ attempting to escape. It is believed that he was killed inside the flaming building. Police expect to find his body in the rubble. This dangerous criminal has finally been brought down.”

Kris swallowed hard as the newswoman’s words brought back the memory in vivid detail of ‘A’s’ masked face and his strong arms carrying Kris to safety. The things he’d said, his apology to Kris before he’d vanished back into the smoke and flames. Kris knew the government to twist or withhold information in order to manipulate the public to their liking, but Kris was still shocked to see how they were criminalizing ‘A’ when he was anything but.

“That’s bullshit. He’s not dead,” Kris said, scowling at the TV screen from his bed. 

Charles and Cale looked at each other briefly across the bed. 

“Kris…” Cale finally began, voicing the question he and Charles had been wondering all along. “What exactly happened to you in there? Did you…did you see him?”

Kris looked down to his lap and started fiddling with his fingers. “Yeah…yeah, I saw him,” he said softly. “It was more than that. I got my head injury in the crowd of people trying to get out. I was the last one in the building because I was lying practically unconscious on the floor with no way to get out. But then…I saw him coming down the hallway. I was terrified, what with all the things they’d been saying about him on the news, but…turns out they were wrong. ‘A’ saved my life. I had no hope of walking and he brought me outside.”

“He bothered to bring you out himself?” Cale asked, seeming in disbelief. “I would have expected him to kill you if you came face-to-face with him.”

“So did I. But I think the government’s been all wrong about him, or they know, and they’re lying.”

The door opened with a sudden loud noise, framing two government officials in the doorway. Kris, Cale, and Charles had never shut up more quickly in their entire lives.

“Kristopher Allen? We’ll be asking you some questions about what happened in the Commerce Building. Gentlemen, if you please…” The official who’d just spoken motioned to Cale and Charles, silently telling them to leave. Charles gave Kris a pat on the shoulder before he and Cale were ushered from the room.

“Now, Mr. Allen, you’ll be telling us exactly what you saw before you escaped the building.”

Kris had no internal debate. He already knew he wouldn’t be telling them the truth.

 

It wasn’t until a few days later, when Kris had been released from the hospital and was confined to bed rest at home, that he asked himself why he had lied to those government officials who questioned him in the hospital. Kris had kept his story simple – just that he’d managed to crawl to that side exit and pull himself outside after being trampled by the escaping crowd. He had told them he hadn’t seen hide nor hair of ‘A’. Kris had, in effect, protected him, by withholding any new information about him the government may have gleaned from Kris’ experience. Kris asked himself why. Sure, he’d never liked the government. He knew the prime minister was a power-abusing oppressor who worked in nothing but self-interest, but did he really feel so strongly against the government that he would do such a dangerous thing as lying and withholding information from government officials? 

The whole time they’d been asking him their questions in the hospital, the image of ‘A’s’ mask wouldn’t fade away from in front of Kris’ eyes. The dark of his covered eyes and his deep red grin no longer brought the fear they had before. Instead, the memory of them brought back ‘A’s’ voice softly telling Kris not to be afraid of him, then later gently urging him not to breathe in the smoke, and the apology he’d left Kris with. ‘A’s’ face had seemed to stay with Kris, hovering over him in that hospital bed, watching over him. 

Kris still couldn’t say exactly why he’d done it, but he knew he’d done the right thing. When Kris heard another claim on the news the next day that ‘A’ had perished in the flames, he was still just as sure that they were lying. ‘A’ was too clever to be felled by flames he created himself. He was a learned expert, having already turned half a dozen buildings to rubble. No, the government was just attempting to dispel whatever excitement may have been incited in the public by ‘A’s’ actions. This was the first act he’d done with the attention of the media. All the people who ‘A’ had previously been unknown to now knew his name. The government was quickly trying to undo that and erase any trace of the rebel from the public eye.

Kris knew the government’s attempts were futile. During his week of bed rest, no matter what Kris was doing, he always found himself thinking back to those minutes inside the burning Commerce building. He constantly found himself thinking back to ‘A’s’ pale face, wondering where he was right now, wondering whether he was alright. There’s no way he could have died in that building,…was there?

 

“Kris! Surprise! We’re here to get you off your bed-ridden ass!” 

Kris groaned from where he was sprawled across his bed in the bedroom. He didn’t want to deal with Cale and Charles’ boisterousness. This was his last day of his hospital-prescribed ‘vacation’. The next day, Kris was expecting his boss to contact him about his change of employment location. With the government, having your building burned down didn’t mean you were off the hook. No way. You just got shuffled elsewhere. Kris doubted his new job would be any higher on the totem pole. 

He’d been doing his best to enjoy his last day of total peace, quiet, and relaxation…that was, until his friends had decided to drop by. Grumbling to himself, Kris rolled off the bed and shuffled to the front door to let Charles and Cale in. 

He practically felt one hundred percent better. He’d had to move around warily on his feet when he’d first been released from the hospital, in case his healing head injury made him feel faint again, but he was feeling much better and more himself by now.

“Ugh. Hi, you two,” Kris mumbled after he opened the door.

“Hey, buddy!” Cale chirped, entirely too cheerfully as he waltzed through the door, followed by Charles. “Haven’t you gotten dreadfully sick of your apartment by now?” 

“No. As foreign as I know the idea must be to you two, I actually enjoy peace and quiet.”

“Psh, overrated,” Cale dismissed with a laugh as he dropped onto Kris’ sofa.

“So what did you guys come here for?” Kris asked as he closed the door again. “Was it really just to bug me here in my apartment since you were bored?”

“Not in your apartment, silly,” Charles said from the other side of the couch. “You’ve been confined to your apartment all week, and we’re going to finally take you out before you go stir crazy in here.”

“Funny, I didn’t notice that risk whatsoever…” Kris mumbled with slight annoyance.

“Aw, c’mon Kris, it’ll be an adventure. We promise it’ll be worth it.”

Kris sighed as he leaned against his kitchen counter and crossed his arms. “Well, go on and tell me where you plan to drag me off to. No way I’m going anywhere with you two without knowing what I’m getting into.”

When Kris looked up, he found his two friends giving each other something of a conspiratorial look.

“What?” Kris asked, now toeing the line between annoyance and curiosity.

Charles cleared his throat, looking between Cale on the opposite side of the couch and Kris, who was standing against the counter on the other side of the room. “Well…remember when you told us about your encounter with ‘A’? You said he saved you,…that he’s far different from how the government’s tried to portray him…”

“Of course I remember. And yes, something tells me he’s nothing like the terrorist or menace they try to describe him as.”

“If he cared enough to rescue you from that building, then it’s no huge leap that he must considerably care for us citizens. Maybe…he really could be a champion for the people.”

Kris lifted a hand to rub over his face. “Even though I agree with what you just said, you haven’t said where it is you two want to take me.”

Finally, Cale came out with it. “I’ve heard that there’s to be a rally tonight for ‘A’s’ supporters. People don’t believe he was killed in the fire, and they want to make their continuing support clear.”

“What?! Have you guys already forgotten how I ran into one of those very same rallies and just barely managed to escape getting carted off by the police?! The night I left that club by myself?”

“Of course we didn’t forget, Kris,” Cale was quick to say. “But the three of us would be there together, and we’d be gone at the first sign of danger.”

Kris looked up, studying each of his friends’ faces in turn. “You guys…you really want to do this? You really want to go support him? You feel that much faith in him? It’s not like it’s your lives he saved.”

“Saving your life will get anyone onto our good side, to start with,” Cale tried his best to explain. “After that, we were just curious. Did some research about ‘A’ and quickly discovered what he’s been doing.” Cale’s voice dropped down to a low whisper, “He means for the fall of the government, Kris…”

“I know that,” Kris was quick to reply

“We think anyone who may be able to bring that about is worth supporting,” Charles surmised. “We’ve lived and suffered under their tyranny long enough.” 

Kris looked away from his two friends on the couch. He wasn’t sure what to think of this development in his friends’ thinking. Even while he himself had been unable to remove ‘A’ from his mind at all during the past week, he’d never expected his own brief involvement with ‘A’ to have affected his friends this deeply as well. 

“We didn’t think you would need convincing, Kris,” Cale added softly. “When you’ve never been able to have a real boyfriend…”

“I know, Cale,” Kris was quick to cut him off. “You’re right, I don’t need convincing. I’m already thinking in support of ‘A’, I’ve already been trying to find out everything about him I can. He’s the only hope this city has.”

“Well I think that settles it then,” Cale declared, standing up from the couch. “We’re going tonight.” 

 

After night had fallen, and by the time Kris and his friends were several blocks away from his apartment, Kris was already second-guessing his decision to come along. The eerie quiet of nighttime and the flickering glow of the street lights reminded him too much of that night when he’d stumbled into a rally and almost been arrested. He glanced over at his friends. They didn’t seem to be feeling the same fear he was…probably because they hadn’t yet experienced what a rally was like. Well, it wasn’t the rally that was making Kris fearful, it was the possibility of being caught in the middle of a police raid.

Though Kris had to admit, he was interested in going to another rally. After ‘A’s’ gallant actions and how he’d gone out of his way to save Kris, Kris could see himself becoming an ardent follower. ‘A’s’ cause was already reason enough to support him.

So Kris walked on with Charles and Cale, refusing to let his fear hold him back.

When they entered the plaza, they already found it full of people. Once again, the people were all dressed in black. Some had dark hoods pulled up over their heads, in attempt to hide their identities.

“Creepy,” Kris heard Charles mutter.

“It’s smart,” Kris whispered back. “We should have done the same thing.”

“Stop worrying so much, Kris,” Charles responded, “We’ll bail at the first sign of trouble.”

Suddenly, there came the sound of a deep bell chime. Kris looked up, and found they were standing right beneath the city clock tower. The hands on the illuminated clock face were both pointing upwards as the bells began to chime twelve times for the hour. As the loud chimes reverberated through the plaza, commotion and murmurings began to spread amongst the crowd. Kris, Charles, and Cale watched as a man in dark clothes with a hood pulled over his head approached the statue of the prime minister that stood in the middle of the plaza. The man stepped up onto the statue’s pedestal, and then turned to face the crowd. A hush had fallen almost completely over the people.

The silence was sliced through and discarded when the man proclaimed to the crowd, “My fellow citizens! I know why you all have gathered here tonight, and I ask each of you to listen closely.” The man turned slightly where he stood, so he could see the statue he was standing in front of. He pointed to the statue’s face – the face of the prime minister. “You all know this face! The face of cruelty, of torture and power over the weak!” The man’s words were met with boos and jeers. “The face of a liar! ‘A’ has finally drawn the government’s full attention with his heroic destruction of the Commerce building. For years our government has taken advantage of the trade networks, importing only what the rich want, what the governors and police will pay for, never what the people need! They import goods to fill the homes of the lords and the bank accounts of the government; while the shelves of our grocery stores are filled only by the labor of the poor. This will no longer be!”

“No longer!” the crowd surrounding Kris echoed.

“And when forced to end their selfish behavior, the government tells us ‘A’ is dead. This man,” the man stabbed his finger towards the statue’s face. “tries to tell us our hero, our only hope for justice and freedom is extinguished?! Ladies and gentlemen, I think not. I think we cannot ever trust the words of this liar.” 

The man paused then, and reached up towards the hood that hid his face. He pushed it off. From the distance Kris was standing, he could see the man’s bright blonde hair. He looked to be in his younger twenties, yet despite his young age, his hardened eyes looked out over the crowd with unshakeable conviction and fire. 

“Don’t be afraid to remove your hoods. Remove them! Show your faces and ally yourselves to ‘A’ and our cause. We are no liars! We are no cowards, like the man whose statue you see before you. We stand with ‘A’ because we know righteousness and justice to be on our side! Animus will continue to set this city ablaze in flames, and right all the wrongs we have suffered!”

Cheering rang out, and Kris found himself raising his hands in the air and his own voice joining in the cacophony. Yet in the midst of the joyous voices, the bang of a gunshot sounded. The young man standing before the statue crumpled and fell to the ground, a dark red stain spreading across his front.

The joyful cheering abruptly softened to fearful murmurings as the people in the plaza looked around, panicked to see where the shot had come from.

Then, a single voice cut over all the noise. “Yes! Do us the favor of removing your hoods so we can hunt down and kill each one of you!”

Kris whirled in the direction the shout had come from. Breath froze in his throat when he saw a police officer standing at the entrance to the plaza, a line of additional troops behind him. The officer standing in front, the one who’d spoken, was still holding the gun in the air that had killed the young man who’d been speaking with such conviction only seconds ago.

Just as panic began to erupt, Kris hissed to his friends, “Leaving at the first sign of trouble, eh?”

“Oh God, shit, we’ve gotta run…” Cale exclaimed. He grabbed Kris’ arm and started pushing their way through the crowd, Charles following close behind them. People were screaming, pushing and running in all different directions as chaos enveloped the entire plaza. It was hard for Kris just to stay standing in the push of people. He grabbed on tightly to Cale’s arm, fear flowing into him as he remembered the terrible crush of the crowd in that hallway of the Commerce building.

Kris clung to his friend as they did their best to move as quickly as they could. Kris caught sight of the same alley he’d escaped down before.

“There! Go there, guys!” He exclaimed, pointing and shouting to be heard over all the noise of the people surrounding them. The sound of gunshots rang out again, much more numerous this time and alarmingly close behind them.

“Shit! Come on, faster!” Kris cried out, now practically dragging Cale along behind him. 

As as they got closer to the alley that had been their goal, the push of the crowd grew stronger. Despite how they pushed and shoved at the people around them, they suddenly found they could no longer get through the crush of people. Kris looked around, panicked. He saw with horror that the three of them were trapped. The movement of the crowd had herded them against the wall of a building at the edge of the plaza. They couldn’t move away because of the quickly-approaching police officer rushing towards them, guns raised. 

Kris stumbled backwards, pressing himself up against the wall behind them, but there was nowhere to go. The officer was looking right at them – Kris could swear, directly at him -, as he grinned a cruel grin and aimed his gun. Kris was about to squeeze his eyes shut against the death he was sure to soon know, when he saw someone race out from a side alley beside the building they were trapped against. The tall man dressed in dark clothes with a hooded jacket, threw himself in between Kris’ friends and the policeman. A gun went off, and Kris expected the man to fall to the ground. Instead, much to Kris’ surprise, he watched the police officer slowly drop his weapon and sink to the ground, dead. Kris didn’t see until then that the man who’d appeared from the alley was holding a gun of his own. The man quickly flipped the gun in his hands and tucked it away in the back of his pants. Then he turned, only for a split-second, and looked at Kris. In the time it took Kris to blink, the man had disappeared back down the alley he’d come. 

Kris’ heart was beating the fastest it had all night. He’d only seen beneath the man’s hood for a fraction of a second, but it had been enough. There was no mistaking it – the white face and red grin of that infamous mask. And before Kris had even thought through what exactly had just happened or his own actions, he was running towards the same alley ‘A’ had just gone down.

“Kris! Where are you going?!” he heard Charles yell from behind him.

“Just get the hell away from here! I’ll meet up with you guys later!”

Kris couldn’t say why it was so important to him. He couldn’t say either why he’d been unable to remove ‘A’ from his mind since the Commerce building, but some nameless determination in him made him run as quickly as he could.

“ ‘A’! ‘A’!” Kris shouted out, looking around wildly for the man who’d seemed to disappear. 

Hands suddenly grabbed Kris and pulled him behind the corner of a dimly lit dead end sidewalk. He was yanked up against a person standing behind him, a gloved hand covering his mouth.

“Why did you follow me?” A voice asked close to Kris’ ear.

Kris’ eyes widened in the darkness as he realized whose hand it was covering his mouth, whose body and chest he was pulled up against. The gloved hand fell away from Kris’ mouth, and Kris took a few fast, deep breaths. 

“W-why? Why did you save my life back there? Why are you here? Surely you have better things to do than come to these rallies.”

The same voice, muffled slightly through the mask, spoke near Kris’ ear again, “I always come to watch these rallies from the shadows. I rarely show myself, but I want to know how my message is reaching the public, and how the people are responding. Most of them have me all wrong, you know.”

The strong hands holding Kris released him. Kris had to make sure he was firmly balanced on his feet before taking a few steps away. He took a deep breath before he slowly turned around to face the other man. Still, the air caught in his lungs when he saw that pale face. It was a bit strange, seeing ‘A’s’ mask paired with normal clothes. His hood had been pulled down, revealing messy black hair. He wasn’t wearing the long wig tonight. This was his natural, shorter hair, Kris realized. 

Looking into the dark, one-way windows of the eyes in the mask, Kris struggled to find any words to respond. “But you…you showed yourself tonight. There were people being shot, yet…you only killed the policeman coming after me.”

“As much as I’d like to, I can’t save every person. I didn’t ask them to gather tonight, they came of their own accord. They knew the risk of gathering in a protest like that, and they decided to take that risk.” ‘A’ replied, and Kris found himself wishing he could see the mouth forming the words behind the mask. “If I jumped into the melee and tried to take down every police officer, I would only get myself captured or killed. Then what good would I be to the people?”

“Y-you still haven’t answered me,” Kris said, his voice soft and mouth dry. “Why did you save just me? Why risk revealing yourself? You’re lucky I’m the only one who recognized you…”

‘A’ was silent for a few long moments. The man stood perfectly still. Standing in front of him ramrod straight, Kris could tell the other man was almost a whole foot taller than himself. It was a bit eerie, just watching the unmoving white face as ‘A’ made no reply. Kris swallowed hard but stood where he was, determined not to let the little bit of fear he felt show through.

Finally, ‘A’ spoke again, “I recognized you from the Commerce building. How could I forget you? I must confess, …you’ve been on my mind quite a bit. How could I just let you die after I’ve already gone through the trouble of saving your life once?”

Utterly stunned, for a while Kris didn’t know what to say. ‘A’ said Kris had been on his mind? He had remembered Kris that well? Kris entertained the idea then that maybe during the past week, ‘A’ had been thinking about their previous encounter just as much as Kris had, but Kris found the idea almost impossible. An encounter with ‘A’ is something no one could forget…but Kris? He wasn’t anything special. Why would he stay on ‘A’s’ mind? Why would ‘A’ even remember who he was? He must have so many more important things to think about…

When Kris realized how long he’d been silent and how stupid his shocked expression must look, he stuttered out, “I-if I’ve been on your mind…Will you tell me something about yourself? I’ve tried to find out more about you, but no one knows anything.”

“That’s a relief to hear. I’m afraid that’s the way it should be.”

“Oh…right, I guess you’re right,” Kris said immediately, feeling foolish and flushing a little.

“Would you perhaps…tell me your name, though? Even though I can tell you nothing about myself.” Kris lifted his head at ‘A’s’ gently placed question, and saw that the man had taken one step nearer to him. His head was now inquisitively cocked to the side slightly – the only human mannerism Kris had seen thus far through the man’s still, statuesque stature.

He hurried to reply, “Kris. It’s Kris.”

An explosion sounded from the direction of the plaza, followed by the sounds of shouting and screams. The noises – worlds away only moments ago - sounded like they were growing nearer to the corner where Kris and ‘A’ stood.

“Well, Kris,” ‘A’ was quick to say. “It was a pleasure. I do hope I’ll be able to see you again, although under different circumstances. Hopefully there will be no need for me to save your life again. Now you’d better leave quickly before the police find you out after curfew.”

Then, just like that, ‘A’ slipped past Kris and darted down the alley. He disappeared almost instantly into the darkness.

Speechless, Kris could do nothing but stare after him for a few seconds. Then another explosion sounded, and Kris was broken from his reverie. He took off in the direction of his apartment.

 

If Kris had a fascination with ‘A’ before, now he would have to admit he was undeniably obsessed. One encounter with the man had made Kris interested and curious. A second encounter with ‘A’ made the man all Kris ever seemed to be thinking about. He was just such an intriguing mystery, all Kris wanted was to unravel the mystery and discover the man beneath.

Looking at the pictures one would see of ‘A’ on the news, where the pale mask and grinning, blood red mouth were almost all that’s visible, he looked every bit the terrorist and terrifying murderer the government painted him to be. But Kris’ personal experiences showed the man beneath the mask to be anything but. He was no murderer, but a champion for the people. He committed the actions deemed ‘crimes’ by the government because he cared for the people like the government didn’t. 

He was a mystifying paradox – a vigilante that burned buildings to the ground in flames and shot policemen without hesitation, yet he was Kris’ two-time savior who had carried Kris from the burning building after he’d been left behind by everyone else.

Kris was sure his preoccupation was getting unhealthy. He’d been working his new job at a government banking building for a few days now, but he still spent most of the work day lost in thought; wondering where ‘A’ was, about whatever new plans he must be making, whether he was still thinking about Kris at all…

 

Kris’ blaring alarm woke him with a start. Groaning into his pillow, he reached out and slapped his alarm off. He closed his eyes again, hugging his pillow.

He’d dreamt about ‘A’. 

Damn it.

This hadn’t been the first time when dark eyes had looked out at him from his dreams, and when he’d relived his experience in the Commerce building. Since meeting the man a second time after the rally, now Kris dreamed of running into him again in dark back alleys. Sometimes, in Kris’ dreams they would have similar conversations to the one they’d had before. Sometimes, Kris would cower in fear in his dreams as ‘A’s’ terrifying dark figure loomed over him. Sometimes, ‘A’ would sweep him up just as easily as he had in the burning building, and steal him away. Kris never seemed to be anything but thrilled in those dreams.

“I think I might need help,” Kris muttered to himself as he fumbled his way out of bed.

He turned the news on as he got dressed, as was regular in his work morning routine. He was just buttoning his shirt up when the television suddenly broke into loud static and the screen went fuzzy. 

“…the heck?”

He walked over and thumped his hand against the side of the television. The reception must have gone out or something…

Then the screen slid back in, and the static abruptly stopped. Kris stepped back to look,…and fell to sit back on his bed in shock.

The screen showed ‘A’, sitting behind a desk in front of a blank, nondescript wall. His gloved hands were folded on the desk and his smiling mask looked out calmly from the screen.

“Greetings, my fellow citizens. I apologize for interrupting your morning news hour, but I have a message for you all far more important than the daily fables of the news.”

Kris moved closer, to sit on the floor in front of the TV. He listened as closely as he could.

“I hope you all know me by now. If not, I am known as ‘A’. It’s likely that most of you have heard the government-issued warnings about me. I wish you all to know these are lies and exaggerations. There is only one single person my plots are aimed against, and that person is the prime minister, along with our government as a whole. Now, I may be the first to voice it, but I am certainly not the first person to see the truth that there is something very wrong with this country. There’s something wrong when the shelves of stores are bare before our and our children’s bellies are full. There’s something wrong when citizens are dragged from their homes, tortured, shot in the streets for rumors of espionage, and sometimes for no reason at all. There’s something wrong when you can’t sleep soundly in your beds at night for fear of the regime that you know could storm your home at any moment and take everything from you. People should not be afraid of their government, governments should be afraid of their people. Too long have our leaders been permitted to sit in their thrones of power, wealth, and excess, while we struggle just to survive under the weight of their selfish agendas.”

“Now, I am no hero. I am no vigilante. What I am is simply an idea – an idea our government would censor and take away from us, but when permitted to grow and take root, an idea can become the most powerful thing this city has ever witnessed, and today, I plan to illustrate the power of this idea. The government banking building that stands in the center of town is the next target I have selected, and I invite you all to keep a close watch on this building. Today, I will make my next move.”

“No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, I urge you to watch closely the flames that will envelop this city, and strike back to our governors and prime minister all the suffering they have wrought upon us. They will suffer their amends. They will feel our animus.”

And the screen broke to static again. 

Kris didn’t know what to think. For a while, he just sat there on the floor in silence, not thinking anything at all as he stared into the blank screen. 

Then the newsroom slid back into focus on the screen, along with shouting voices. “How is he getting in?! He’s interrupted our broadcast signal! –We’ve cut back in! We’re on!” The newswoman sitting behind the desk hurriedly composed herself, doing her best attempt at a calm smile into the camera.

“We apologize for that unsightly interruption, ladies and gentlemen. The terrorist known as ‘A’ temporarily hijacked our broadcast signal in order to spread his messages of fear and violence, demonstrating why he is so dangerous…” Then she did her best to launch back into her normal news lineup, although obviously unsettled by the interruption.

Kris couldn’t help but laugh and feel a bit of satisfaction at seeing how ‘A’ had made a fool of the government news team. He leaned back against the side of the bed, letting what had just happened sink in.

‘A’ was utterly inspiring, he thought. He didn’t want to be in control of the people, he didn’t want to take advantage of them, his general message just seemed to be that it was possible to fight and stand up against the government. He had drawn all of the government’s attention toward him, giving the people the option to take his messages to heart and support what he stood for, should they desire. And ‘A’ had planned his broadcast brilliantly. Kris had no idea how he’d managed to break into the government signal, but he had done so during the time almost all of the people’s televisions were turned on. The morning news was what the government wanted everyone to see – it was broadcasted to every TV set and played on the huge television monitors outside throughout the city. They had unintentionally given ‘A’ the single perfect opportunity to reach the entire city.

Kris paused as he thought back to the details of what ‘A’ had said. He had mentioned his next target…

Kris had to laugh a little. “Shit.” Of course, the building ‘A’ was targeting today, the banking building, was where Kris now worked. 

The phone rang and Kris jumped, startled. He sighed as he stood up and went to pick the phone up from the bedside table.

“Hello?”

It was his boss on the line. He told Kris that ‘A’s’ “empty threats” were no reason to delay getting work done. He told Kris that security would be considerably increased, and Kris, along with all the other employees, should come in as regularly planned. Kris acknowledged the order and hung up. He wasn’t surprised, really. Of course his bosses cared first and foremost about their work.

Kris’ stomach twisted with anxious nerves as he packed his bag and got ready to leave. He was worried about what exactly ‘A’s’ plans were with the building. Would he burn this one down like he did the Commerce building? Kris feared for his safety, feared facing another panicked mob like in the Commerce building…but Kris couldn’t deny the bit of excitement bursting into him from the possibility of coming face-to-face with ‘A’ again. Kris knew the chances were slim that he would run into him, but Kris couldn’t help hoping. He felt a little foolish for doing so, wondering why he was so hopeful for another encounter with a man who was sometimes dangerous, and who Kris knew absolutely nothing about.

Despite all that, Kris couldn’t deny that little bit of excitement over the possibility. He left for work a little more quickly than usual.

 

The banking building was a total and utter mess. Kris had no idea how anyone was expected to get any work done at all. As well as soldiers and police surrounding the outside of the building, there was a troupe of police stationed on every floor. They patrolled up and down the hallways. There was a guard posted at every doorway and stairwell, scrutinizing everyone who approached before letting them pass. Being in such close proximity to so many police scared Kris much more than the possibility of seeing ‘A’ again. After all, it had been a policeman who’d tried to kill him, and ‘A’ who had saved him. Kris was just glad all these police were preoccupied with keeping ‘A’ out, and weren’t bothering all the people at work.

Kris made his way up the stairs, carrying an armful of mail and other papers. He was heading to the very top floor, and cursed the building for having so many damn floors. The police had taken over all of the elevators to move their forces throughout the building.

“Damn them too,” Kris muttered under his breath. 

When he reached the top of the staircase, he came face to face with the policeman blocking the doorway. Leaning against his gun with the weapon propped against the floor, the policeman drew himself up to his full height and leered down at Kris. Or at least, Kris imagined he was leering. It wasn’t exactly possible to see the officer’s face through the helmets they wore. For about the thousandth time in his life, Kris really wished he was taller.

“I-I’m making a delivery to the offices on this floor,” Kris explained, lifting his armful of papers a little, as if to show the proof of his statement.

“Mmhm alright, whatever,” the guard finally conceded from his tough-guy stance, moving aside to let Kris though. Kris quickly scurried through the doorway and down the hall. He was tempted to turn around and make a face at the guard’s back, but he knew the government’s cameras were all over the building, so he restrained himself.

Kris moved along the hallway, dropping off his armful of papers one by one as he passed each office. As he moved down the floor, he collected a new armful of papers to be delivered to other floors. A few coffee orders were placed with him too. Oh, how Kris loved his job.

Kris was heading back down the hallway and preparing to again face the policeman blocking the stairwell, when a sudden loud noise made him shout in alarm and drop everything he’d been carrying in favor of throwing his arms up to cover his head. The noise had sounded like a gunshot, and he was fully expecting some kind of gunfight to break out in the hallway over his head, or possibly aimed at him.

When nothing of the sort happened, Kris slowly opened his eyes and looked up again. Loud, panicked voices were beginning to erupt in all directions as the hallway was slowly beginning to fill with smoke. Kris covered his mouth with both hands in case the smoke was really some kind of gas. He realized that the loud noise that he’d mistaken for a gunshot must have instead been a smoke bomb.

Then a voice began to speak over the PA system, loud and unmistakable, “I am among you, but you know not where. My target is the financial records of the government stored here. As we speak, I’m seated in front of your main computer system, watching all of your records being purged. You may attempt to stop my escape, but I can almost guarantee you’ll have no success in stopping me.”

‘A’s’ voice – Kris recognized it instantly.

“Smoke bombs have gone off on eight different floors!” Kris heard a policeman shout from the other end of the hallway. Through the haze of smoke, Kris could see the group of guards that had been posted at the other end of the hallway rushing down in his direction.

“Come over here, boy!” one of them shouted to Kris, grabbing his arm. The policeman pulled Kris down the smoky hallway until Kris could see a group of people huddled together in an alcove in the hallway. It looked to be all the people from the entire floor’s offices. “Stay with this group!” the officer ordered, giving Kris a push in the direction of the other people. Kris hurried to kneel down with the other people. He looked around, seeing several guards standing around the group of people. All of the people on the floor must have been rounded together so the police could keep track of them all and keep them out of the way.

“Was that ‘A’ over the PA? Was that him?!” Kris heard people in the group asking in panicked voices. Kris stayed silent as he listened to all the hysterical conversations breaking out in the group around him.

The radio on the nearest policeman’s belt crackled, and then Kris heard the officer on the other end say, “ ‘A’ is attempting to escape from the financial records control room. He got in by disguising himself as one of us. Use the utmost caution! Check all your officers! Kill him on sight!”

Kris couldn’t help the instinctual clench in his chest when he heard that last order. No, they couldn’t just kill him like that…

“Officers, make appearances!” the guard who Kris guessed must be the commanding officer shouted. The other police scattered across the floor all hurried to group in front of their commanding officer. “Remove your helmets! All of you! ‘A’ is in one of our uniforms!”

All of the policemen immediately lifted their helmets away, revealing nothing but ordinary, innocent faces. They all began to shift, looking around and scrutinizing each other to make sure the man standing next to them wasn’t the one they were hunting. But as they moved, a single guard hidden in the back of the group came into view. He was still wearing his helmet. 

“You back there! Take off your damn helmet!” the leader shouted at him. The still-masked guard stood there still and silent. The commander quickly drew his gun with a grunt and took quick steps closer to the other man. 

“Bastard coward!” he shouted, and in the blink of an eye had aimed and fired his gun. The other man suddenly twisted to the side, dodging with inhuman speed. The bullet ricocheted off the visor of his helmet, just grazing him. The helmet split in the middle from the impact. He gave a toss of his head, and the helmet fell away in two pieces. 

Beneath the helmet, the man was wearing a white, grinning mask. His long black wig fell around his shoulders. Before anyone watching him could recover from their shock, he quickly drew open the front of his jacket and pulled it aside – revealing several guns and knives lined up and tucked into inside pockets. In the blink of an eye, he snapped two knives from within his coat and sent them flying. Blood dribbled onto the floor as the two guards on either side of ‘A’ fell, his knives sticking out from the perfect center of their chests.

“Fucker, you’re going to die!” the commanding officer shouted, his gun blazing now at ‘A’. ‘A’ crouched and dove to the side, two guns in his hands now as he returned fire. Then the rest of the police came to their senses and joined in the fight, and a full-on gunfight broke out.

The people around Kris broke out in screams and panic. Most of them jumped up and began to run, trying to get away from the fight. Kris watched in horror as stray, careless police bullets struck some of the fleeing people. The police were desperate and panicked in their fight, as ‘A’ steadily took them down with one precisely fired bullet after another. 

His heart pounding in his ears, Kris knew it was too dangerous to stay where he was, but even more dangerous to try fleeing through the haze of bullets and smoke. He looked around wildly, trying to find something he could hide behind for cover. There was a desk about fifteen feet away, seeming to be Kris’ best option. He took a deep breath and looked back to the fight for a few seconds, trying to see if anyone was coming his way. 

“Go, Kris. Just go. Just do it!” he muttered, trying desperately to muster up the courage. Finally, he scrambled to his feet and into a sprint. Seconds later, he was diving behind the desk, panting for breath through his panic. But just when he’d finally started to catch his breath, a body slumped to the ground next to the desk and far too close to Kris for his liking. It was a police officer with a knife through the chest. He was already dead. Kris gasped and scurried away. He had to quickly avert his eyes, fearing he may be sick.

He needed to see if the fight was getting nearer to where he was hidden. He needed to see whether he should stay hidden where he was or try to flee farther away. He took a few deep breaths to muster up his nerves before lifting himself up to peek over the top of the desk.

‘A’ was facing off against the five policemen still standing. He was brandishing a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. One guard was shooting at him while the others were reloading their guns. ‘A’ ducked under the line of fire and rushed at the guard. He turned away only a moment later as the guard fell behind him – a knife piercing his stomach. With quick gunfire, he felled another one of the officers. 

Then two out of the remaining three finished reloading and started firing at the same time. ‘A’ whirled to face them and leapt out of the way of their bullets. A second gun appeared in his hand to replace the knife he’d lost, and he quickly started firing at the two guards.

Kris was watching all of this, and he saw the third guard who, as he reloaded, was sneaking behind ‘A’ while he was preoccupied with the other two guards. One of the other two fell while the third clicked the barrel of his gun into place. Kris watched from his hiding place as the guard who’d escaped ‘A’s’ notice raised his weapon in anticipation of shooting him in the back.

Acting without thinking as impulse and some instinctive desire to protect ‘A’ took him over, Kris leapt to his feet, screaming, “Turn around! ‘A’, no!”

The man spun, instantly seeing the threat. 

“He’s with him!” one of the guards shouted, pointing at Kris. “He’s an accomplice!” and the guard shot in Kris’ direction. Kris felt a fiery pain in his arm and he fell to the floor. 

Then ‘A’ fired once from each gun in his hands, his arms extended in opposite directions, and he ended the battle. The guards who’d been standing on either side of him collapsed to the ground. Kris was horrified at himself for feeling any kind of happiness at people being shot, but his happiness came just from seeing ‘A’ alive and victorious. Kris thought it must have been the right side that won the fight. The terrible pain in his arm flared and he cried out unintentionally. Kris just barely saw ‘A’ turning to look towards him before his vision faded to black and he lost consciousness.

 

Kris’ body was sprawled out to the side of the desk he’d been hiding behind. His injured arm jutted out from his body. Dark red was staining and bleeding through the sleeve of his shirt. 

‘A’ slowly came to stand over him. He stood over Kris silently for several long seconds, before speaking softly, “Countless more police will be here before we know, and now they think you’re my accomplice of some sorts…cameras will have seen what you’ve done. Now, they’ll be coming for you the same way they’re coming for me.”

Loud voices came from the stairwell – the sound of more police approaching. ‘A’ leaned down, gathered Kris’ unconscious form in his arms, and hurried for the rooftop exit.

 

While Kris was asleep, unconscious to the world, ‘A’ broadcasted the following message to the city…

“I have carried out my goal in the Banking building. Today, I erased this country’s records of all debts. To make this clear, our government has no debt. It is indebted to no one, but rather has millions of dollars worth of debt stacked up from countless other countries. I’ve erased all these records, and with them, erased all the debt that the government has tricked and conned out of smaller, less developed countries. Our government has taken advantage of third world countries for years, piling debt upon them until our government can claim its right to take whatever crops and whatever natural resources from these countries. No longer. No government of a single country should hold tyranny over the whole world. Tyranny over our single country is bad enough. And in due time…their tyranny will end. In due time, the government will fall.”


	2. Chapter 2

Kris came awake slowly, and a dark grogginess hung over him, as if he’d been in a very deep sleep for a long time. As he came to, he became gradually aware of his surroundings. This wasn’t his bed, and when he was able to open his eyes and slowly look around, he saw nothing familiar. He felt alarm like a distant nudge in the back of his mind – too weary to feel any sudden shock over the fact that he had no idea where he was.

Then, pain suddenly crashed through his senses. He hissed in discomfort and blindly clutched at his arm, where the pain was centered. He was surprised when his hand landed on cloth instead of bloodied skin. He hadn’t looked at his arm for fear of what was sure to be a gruesome wound, but upon inspection of his arm, he found that someone had neatly bandaged the injury above his elbow. The bandages were securely fastened so they didn’t slide around when Kris experimentally lifted his arm, but they weren’t too tight either. Kris wasn’t exactly sure how the bandages got there, and he had no idea who could have done it for him, but he had no memory of doing it himself…

Kris thought back to what he could remember – the scene of mayhem in the Banking building, watching ‘A’ fight off all those guards. The last things Kris remembered was jumping out of his hiding place to shout a warning to ‘A’ to save him from a bullet in the back. Then, a shot rang out in his direction and then he remembered falling to the floor. The last thing in his memory right before he’d gone under was ‘A’s’ face turning to look at him. But somehow Kris wasn’t in the Banking building anymore, meaning someone must have brought him out, and he wasn’t waking up in a hospital, which was where any one else would have brought him. Could it really be that ‘A’ had…..

Kris sat up and looked around the room. He was in the middle of a huge bed with several quilts and blankets spread over him. The room was fairly large, but there were overflowing bookshelves against every wall, taking up most of the floor space. There were books everywhere – lined up on the countless shelves or sitting in stacks around the room. The little bit of the walls Kris could see were a dark reddish brown, and there were no windows. Kris’ best guess was that he must be somewhere underground.

As remote and impossible as the possibility seemed, the only explanation Kris could manage for his current situation was that ‘A’ has been the one who’d brought him here and bandaged his arm. But where was here? And where was ‘A’?

Kris pushed the blankets away and slowly got up from the bed, wary of his arm. It was time to find some answers. 

The door was huge and wooden and Kris had to pull with both hands for it to open. He stepped out into a hallway of tiled floor and curved, stone walls and ceiling. A suit of armor stood beside the door he’d just come through. He had to inspect and gape at it for a few seconds. He’d never seen anything like it before.

It was barely loud enough to be audible, but, then Kris heard a faint voice. When he lifted his head and looked around, he could tell it was coming from up the hallway a bit. He began following it, and only a few steps later he realized the sound was the soft melody of someone humming. 

Kris slowly padded through the hallway in his socked feet. His shoes had been removed, but aside from that he was still in the clothes he’d worn to work yesterday, or at least…he thought it had been yesterday. He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep.

He walked passed several rooms, all looking to be filled with aged, interesting items or pieces of art. There were paintings, sculptures, ancient masks and artifacts hung on the walls. Despite his repeated desires to stop and wonder at all the beautiful (and most likely priceless) objects he passed, he continued on following the humming voice.

Finally, there was a doorway on his left with another huge wooden door. The door was already open, and Kris could hear the humming coming from inside. From this close proximity, Kris could tell the voice was quite beautiful, and not knowing what to expect, Kris slowly stepped past the door, keeping himself pressed close against the doorframe.

He looked inside, into a room that looked to be a kitchen with cabinets, counters, a table, and a stove. Standing behind the stove, with a spatula in hand as he tended to something cooking in a pan, was ‘A’. He seemed to be in a more casual version of his normal attire – no wig, just the short hair Kris had seen before, dark jeans and a dark long-sleeved shirt, and gloves. He had a red apron tied over his clothes, and with that beside his mask, he almost looked comical. Kris never in a million years thought that word would describe ‘A’.

Kris stood there silently pressed against the doorframe for what must have been over a minute, not sure what to do. He watched ‘A’ as he flipped whatever was in the pan, humming to himself as he cooked. How should Kris announce his presence? 

Kris was just about to step out and clear his throat when ‘A’ turned towards his direction. Just instinctively, Kris froze when that masked face saw him, and ‘A’s’ humming abruptly stopped.

“Wonderful, you’re awake. You were out for almost a whole day,” ‘A’ said a moment later, gliding over the previous tense moment without a hitch.

“I…I didn’t mean to sneak in or spy on you or anything…” Kris attempted to explain, embarrassed by the manner in which their conversation had begun.

“Come now, it’s alright.” He turned back to the stove for a moment to flip the pan’s contents again. 

Kris slowly moved from the doorway. Even as he looked at ‘A’ standing there in jeans and an apron, seeing his mask brought Kris back to the middle of that fight, watching ‘A’ shoot and stab and kill. Kris was well aware that ‘A’ could easily kill him in a mere instant. Kris didn’t come farther than a few steps into the room.

“I do hope you like omelets. I realize it’s a little late in the day, but breakfast is my favorite meal and I wouldn’t miss it,” ‘A’ said. 

Kris looked up and watched him scoop two omelets from the pan onto two respective plates, both already holding toasts with jam.

“How do you know how late it is?” Kris asked. “I haven’t seen any windows. Where…where are we exactly? And how did I get here?”

“Yes, I realize you must have plenty of questions,” ‘A’ said as he brought both plates over to a table in the center of the room that was set for two. “Please, come sit and eat while I explain. You must be hungry.”

Kris was starving, actually, but he still felt he should be wary. He looked at the table, with two placemats, two plates, two sets of utensils, two glasses of orange juice, and a small vase at the center of the table holding a single white daisy. Kris looked to ‘A’, pulling the apron over his head, folding it and tucking it away in a drawer. Kris went to sit at the table. ‘A’ sat down across from him. 

Kris was entirely distracted from ‘A’s’ presence for a minute as he hungrily dug into his food. Kris was halfway finished already by the time ‘A’ asked him, “Is it good?”

“Very. Thank you,” Kris said immediately. Then he grew a little self-conscious about the way he had both elbows on the table and was practically devouring his food. He cleared his throat a little, sitting back and remembering his table manners. He looked over to ‘A’s’ still-untouched plate, then up at him. Of course, he couldn’t eat with the mask on. Now Kris really felt rude.

As if reading exactly what Kris was thinking, ‘A’ said, “Don’t worry, I’ll eat later. But if you’re still hungry, feel free to have mine. You need to recover your strength.” ‘A’ pushed his plate a little in Kris’ direction. “Speaking of which, how’s your arm?”

Kris looked to his bandaged right arm. “It still hurts quite a bit, but I think I’ll be fine.”

“The bullet didn’t pass through, but left a rather hefty wound where it grazed you. I know professional medical treatment would be preferable, but I cleaned it, made sure there were no fragments from the bullet left behind, and bandaged it. I thought you might need stitches, but when I changed the bandages this morning, it looked to be on its way to healing alright on its own.”

“I see…” Kris said softly, caught off guard by just how much ‘A’ had been tending to him. “Thank you very much for doing all that. It does feel much better.”

“Good.”

Silence encroached for a few seconds as Kris ate a little more. It really was delicious…

“So,” ‘A’ said suddenly. “I believe you asked where we are and how you got here.” Kris nodded, eating more slowly now as ‘A’ spoke.

“As for where you are, you’re in my home. I can’t tell you where that is for obvious reasons, but we are underground. As for how you got here, well, I brought you back with me from the Banking building. I had already finished what I went there to do, and was in the process of escaping when the police realized my disguise and caught me. You saw what happened after that. After you passed out, I only had a few seconds to think before more police would have arrived and I’d lose my window to escape. You were wounded and unconscious, and you had become a target for the police, just as you saw when that guard didn’t hesitate to shoot you. If I had left you there, you’d be in some government prison right now, most likely being questioned and or tortured. You saved my life when you yelled that warning to me, and I couldn’t let you become a prisoner in consequence of that. So I carried you with me when I escaped and brought you back here.”

Kris had stopped eating about halfway through ‘A’ explanation. It was a lot to take in. Kris looked away from ‘A’s’ face for a moment, and instead focused on the mostly-eaten plate of food in front of him. He had suddenly lost his appetite. He still couldn’t believe he had done that…gone against the government and stopped ‘A’ from getting killed or captured. And now as a result of that, Kris had a nice bullet hole in his arm. Kris became suddenly aware of the silence again, and how ‘A’ must be waiting for some response to all he’d just told Kris.

“I don’t know…,” Kris started, then took a deep breath and tried again. “Thank you, for doing all that for me. I guess you saved my life too. And thanks again for tending to my arm. I’m sure it would be much worse without your care.”

“A hospital would have been better. I’m sorry I couldn’t…”

“No, it’s fine, really. At least I avoided the government officials who’d be sure to question me at the hospital.” Kris started to get up from the table. He wasn’t sure what to say to ‘A’, especially now that he knew ‘A’ had carried his unconscious body all the way here and spent so much time caring for his wound. “Well, thank you for everything, and I’ll be leaving and getting out of your hair as soon as possible…”

Kris heard ‘A’ give a sigh as Kris stood up and pushed his chair at the table back in.

“Kris…I don’t think you quite understand.” Kris paused from where he’d turned to leave the room. He turned back to look at ‘A’, who was still sitting at the table and now looking right at Kris. “The police have the idea that you’re my accomplice. I may have killed the guards there that saw what you did, but it was recorded on cameras in the building too. You were probably already labeled as suspicious after you were the last one out of the Commerce building and they suspected you had contact with me. If any police see you out and about now, they could take you in. We both know you didn’t do anything terrible just by warning me, but we also both know the government overlooks nothing, and they’re desperate for any possible leads on me.”

“So what…what are you saying? I can’t go outside? I have to stay here?” Kris asked softly, his face having gone a little bit pale. ‘A’ got up from the table so he could move to stand in front of Kris. He raked a hand through his hair, considering his words and the situation carefully.

“I’m sorry, Kris, but I don’t see any other way. For both your safety and mine, it would be best if you stayed here for a few months, where you’ll be safe…”

“A few months?!” Kris exclaimed, his voice loud and desperate. “Months? Are you mad?! I can’t just disappear from my life for a few months! What about my apartment, my job, my-..”

“I can provide anything you need…”

“You practically kidnapped me! You can’t do this, you can’t keep me here!”

“Kris, I was only trying to-…”

Overwhelmed, not knowing what to say or do, Kris cried, “You should have just left me alone!”

Kris turned and rushed from the room, trying just to get away from the man. ‘A’ - a killer no matter how civil he may have seemed - wanted to keep Kris as some kind of prisoner?! This was no better than if the police had taken him in!

Not knowing where else to go, Kris raced back to the doorway of the room he’d woken up in only a short while ago. He fell through the doorway and pushed the heavy door shut with a loud slam.

Only seconds later, a knock came on the door accompanied by ‘A’s’ voice, “I regret that I’ve upset you, but please try to think logically. This is the best option for you right now.”

“Go away,” Kris murmured, just loud enough to be heard through the thick door as he backed away until his knees hit the bed. “Please, just go away.”

“You’ve shut me out of my own bedroom, you know,” came ‘A’s’ voice through the door. Kris sat down on the bed, looking down to his hands in his lap as he tried not to give into his fear that ‘A’ would burst through the door and attack him right there on the bed for the way he’d just acted. Silence went on for a long time. Kris was just beginning to think ‘A’ had left from the other side of the door when he heard his voice again, much softer this time, and almost regretful.

“I’m sorry for all of this, Kris. I’m sorry you’re injured because of me. I’m sorry I’ve caused you such distress.”

Kris looked up at the door, a bit surprised, but that was when he heard ‘A’s’ footsteps retreating away. Kris collapsed back against the bed, having no idea what to think.

 

Kris went back to sleep, as there wasn’t anything else he could manage doing. He had tried to pick up one of the books sitting on the bedside table, but his racing mind wouldn’t let him focus on the words on the page. When he woke up, his brain had stopped its freak out and he found himself able to think more clearly.

The first thing he could think was that he really needed a shower and clean clothes. He wished he’d known he was going to be kidnapped indefinitely, so he could have at least packed a bag. He chuckled a little bit at his own foolishness. At least his anger towards his current situation had faded. 

Kris curled up under the blankets, thinking back to everything ‘A’ had told him. He knew he should be grateful to the man for saving him from the clutches of the government. ‘A’ was probably right about how the government would have kept after Kris relentlessly for information about ‘A’, but Kris couldn’t believe they had really made so much out of what Kris had done, and that now he was wanted just as much as ‘A’ was. It just didn’t seem possible. Kris was no criminal. 

He slid out of the bed and stood up, still careful of his healing arm. The bandages had gotten a little disheveled as he’d slept. Kris carefully stepped around the stacks of books on the floor and made his way to the door. He pulled the heavy door open again and went out into the hallway. This time he heard another sound to follow in the hallway. It was a voice again, but this time it sounded like it was coming from a television. 

Kris walked back towards the kitchen, and found the soundtrack of the television coming from one of the rooms he’d passed before. When he looked inside, he saw a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall playing the news. There was a large couch situated in front of it, and ‘A’ was seated on the end. ‘A’ turned in Kris’ direction almost immediately, and Kris was just a little bit spooked. Had he heard Kris coming? He’d been all but silent…

“U-um….I wanted to come find you and apologize for earlier, how I acted. I was just so shocked, you caught me off guard with everything…”

“It’s alright, I understand. It was a lot to take in.” ‘A’ looked back to the news on the TV for a moment, then back to Kris. “Come in and sit down. Perhaps you’ll understand better if you watch this.”

Even though Kris was perplexed as to how the mostly made-up news could help him understand anything, he went over to the couch and sat down on the opposite end from ‘A’. The same newswoman as usual had just begun speaking on a new story.

“Despite our certainty that he was killed, the terrorist ‘A’ seems to have made another move against the government and its people with his destruction of important and irreplaceable financial records stored in the Banking building, which he attacked yesterday. He has committed yet another grave offense, now adding destruction of government property to his previous crimes of arson and murder.” A fuzzy, dark picture of ‘A’ was shown on screen, only his trademark mask visible. “This man is on a heinous killing spree and must be captured immediately for all of our safety. If you’ve seen this man or know any information at all, please contact your local police. In addition to ‘A’, there is a new suspect the police have labeled as potentially dangerous.” The picture of Kris that had been taken for his government ID card appeared on the screen. “This man, Kristopher Allen, is believed to have aided ‘A’ with his recent plot. Any information about him should also be passed along to the police.”

‘A’ shut off the television. Kris just stared at the dark screen for a few seconds as what he’d just heard slowly sank in. He took a deep, steadying breath, his head dropping forward into his hands.

“Oh my god…..I-I can’t believe this is happening…”

“You haven’t done anything wrong, Kris. They’re just desperate, and this is the only thing close to a lead they’ve been able to get.” Kris rubbed his hands over his face as he did his best to try and calm down. 

“Kris,” ‘A’ said his name, and the serious tone in his voice made Kris turn to look at him. “Think about all the people you know, friends and family. Do you think anyone you know would fall for that and contact the police? Is there anyone you should call to explain the situation to? I have a secure phone line here, with no government tap.”

Kris took a deep breath before he responded, “Well, there are two friends I should probably explain this to. I think they’d know better than to go running to the police right away, but they might get worried after I’ve disappeared like this, and after a while they might get desperate enough to go to the police for help.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Is there any family you should call?”

Kris looked away. “No, no family.” Quick to move past what he’d just said, Kris asked something else. “Before I make the calls, do you think I could take a shower? I don’t think I can function any more with all this grime on me and there’s a little bit of a blood stain on my shirt.”

“Naturally. The bathroom is the door next to the bedroom you’ve been sleeping in. I’ll try to find some fresh clothes for you to wear and I’ll leave them in front of the bathroom door. The phone will be ready when you get out.”

“Thank you very much.”

‘A’ nodded as Kris got up from the couch.

“Do you like steak?” Kris heard ‘A’ ask before he left the room. Kris turned back to look at ‘A’, still sitting on the sofa. “I think I’ll make some tonight.”

“You have steak? I’ve only eaten it once in my life, it’s so rare that there’s any fine food like that available.”

“Well, then it looks like dinner will be a treat,” ‘A’ replied easily.

“Y-yes,” Kris agreed softly before he left the room to head for the bathroom.

Kris’ shower felt absolutely heavenly. He stripped off his bandages before he turned on the water, and looked at the wound closely while he gently washed it under the water. While it didn’t seem to be bleeding anymore, there wasn’t a scab quite yet and the water that ran over it still stung a bit and fell with a red tint. It did feel a lot better though, in comparison to the pain it had been causing Kris before. It seemed that ‘A’ had treated the injury well.

Kris wrapped a towel around his waist as he stepped out of the shower. When he cracked the bathroom door open, he saw ‘A’ had left a small pile of clothes in front of the door like he had said he would. Kris scooped them up before closing the door again. ‘A’ had given him sweatpants that fit pretty well despite being on the baggy side, and a black t-shirt. “Jeez, does he own any shirts that aren’t black?” But Kris knew he shouldn’t complain. Just being clean and in fresh clothes felt amazing.

After rubbing his hair dry with a towel, Kris came back out to the room he’d left ‘A’ in a little while ago. 

“Here,” ‘A’ said, motioning Kris over to the phone that sat on a tabletop in the room. Kris came over and ‘A’ held out the receiver to him. “I’ve already programmed the phone to get around the wiretap. Just dial the number and it should be fine.” 

‘A’ looked like he was about to walk away and leave Kris to his phone calls, but then turned back to Kris again.

“If you can, avoid telling them anything too specific. The more they know, the more danger they’re in.”

Kris nodded, swallowing hard as he watched ‘A’ move away and leave the room. The gravity of his situation was still setting in on Kris. He still couldn’t believe ‘A’ had taken him into hiding from the police, and Kris would be confined here until the suspicions of him blew over. And those suspicions were so serious that he couldn’t even tell Charles and Cale the whole story for the sake of all their safety…

The dial tone of Cale’s cell phone hummed in Kris’ ear, as he tried to come up with the best way to assure his friends he was safe without telling them exactly where he was and who had saved him. He already knew these conversations would prove difficult.

Kris collapsed on the couch an hour later, after two utterly exhausting phone calls. It had taken all his self-control not to just break down and tell his friends everything. More than anything, he had wanted to. He wanted to be able to talk to them, to be able to release his internal freak out and talk to them candidly about all these unbelievably crazy things that had happened to him. But he had had to restrain himself to nothing more than assuring his friends that he was safe, and explaining that he hadn’t done anything to warrant the government’s warnings regarding him, and that his friends should disregard them.

He heard footsteps in the hallway. He looked towards the doorway and saw ‘A’ hovering in the doorway with a first aid kit in hand.

“Your wound should probably be bandaged again after your shower,” he said. 

Kris looked at the still-sizeable gash his arm was sporting. “Yeah…it doesn’t look healed enough yet to go without a bandage.”

‘A’ came into the room to sit beside Kris. He set the kit down on his lap and opened it. 

“First let’s disinfect it again…,” ‘A’ said, producing a small package which he ripped open and pulled a small wipe from. Kris held his arm out and ‘A’ gingerly held his arm with one gloved hand. “I hope this doesn’t sting too much,” he said as he gently dabbed the wipe against the wound. Kris winced a little but didn’t let out any noise of pain. After disposing of the wipe, ‘A’ lifted a roll of bandages from the box. After laying a gauze pad over the wound, he began to carefully wind a length of bandage over it. 

“Tell me if it’s too tight…”

“It feels fine,” Kris answered. ‘A’ ripped off a piece of medical tape to secure the end of the bandage, affixing it gently. 

“That feels alright?”

“Yep, great. Thank you.”

‘A’ closed the first aid kit again. He looked over into Kris’ face. After a few seconds of silence as ‘A’ seemed to study him, he said, “You look exhausted.”

Kris sighed, his gaze falling. “Those phone calls were…hard. They’re my two closest friends and we’ve always told each other everything. It’s really weird keeping anything from them, especially something this big.” Kris took a deep breath, drawing his knees up against his chest. “This is like…the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me, and I can’t even tell them…”

‘A’ was silent and sat still for a few long moments, while Kris remained quiet and rested his chin down against his knees. 

‘A’ finally spoke, his voice with even more of the soft, gentle tone it had had when he was dressing Kris’ wound, “I know if you could go back and change things, or if you’d known what was going to happen in the Banking building,… you probably would have gone about things differently. If there had been an alternate choice presented to you, you probably wouldn’t have chosen being trapped here with me.”

“I don’t regret saving you,” Kris was quick to say. It was the truth. He didn’t, not for a second. 

“Thank you for such a sentiment. But still,…I want you to know that I am sincerely sorry for how it worked out, and that this was the only way for you to be safe. I never meant for you to get tangled up in my plans, in either the Commerce or Banking buildings. You got hurt in both of those incidents, and I’m deeply regretful for that. You seem to have terrible luck…always in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Kris couldn’t help but crack a smile. “It does seem that way.”

‘A’ was quick to serious again, “I’m more sorry than I can say that all this you’re being put through is the result of you shouting that warning to me. It was an incredibly brave thing for you to do and obviously I owe you my life for it, but I wish I could have repaid you somehow differently. I’m sorry.”

Kris was silent for a moment, just taking in the intense sincerity in ‘A’s’ words and voice. The more Kris was getting to know him, the more the dark, masked figure that had terrified Kris shrunk into the distance. Kris was slowly coming to know the man beneath the mask, and he was so incredibly unalike.

“ ‘A’…I can’t exactly say, even now, why I did what I did – something just took me over. I’m usually not that brave,” he said with a tiny laugh before continuing, “But if I hadn’t done it, you might be dead right now and the bit of hope this city has would have gone with you. Since I saw you in the Commerce building, I tried so hard to find out more about you. The more I thought about you, the more amazed I was by what you were doing, and somewhere along the way I became a supporter. What you’re doing is amazing, and I’m just glad I could play my small part in it.” 

Kris looked down to his hands in his lap, thinking through his words carefully as he spoke. ‘A’ was always so eloquent, Kris didn’t want to make a fool of himself in comparison.

“When you explained everything yesterday, I acted the way I did because I was so startled, but…it was immature of me. I realize by now that you did what you did to help me, and if you hadn’t, I’d be far worse off right now.”

“I’m glad you see it that way,” ‘A’ said softly. “And I hope you’re not finding staying here to be too unpleasant.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s weird being suddenly pulled out of my normal life, but if I have to be holed up somewhere, here is a whole lot better than some government place.” 

Kris finally looked up towards ‘A’, and smiled at him a little. Kris wished he could see his face behind the mask. He was sure the other man would be smiling too.

“Come, I’ll prepare dinner. It won’t take long,” ‘A’ said, getting up from the sofa.

Kris set the table, and not long after they were sitting down at the table together. Kris dug into his food right away. It was really quite unbelievable how good of a cook ‘A’ was. Was there anything he couldn’t do?

But once again, Kris found himself feeling uneasy at the table as ‘A’ sat still across from him, his own plate of food untouched before him. Kris stopped eating, just pushing the food around his plate for a minute.

“If you don’t mind me asking…,” Kris started softly, nervous and wholly unsure how ‘A’ would respond to the question. “Why do you wear the mask all the time? Is it just to protect your identity from everyone?”

‘A’ was silent for what felt to Kris like eternity. Kris took a few more bites, doing his best not to freak out and retract the question. He hoped ‘A’ wasn’t angry…

“I wear it to hide my face from all eyes, even my own.”

Kris looked up for a moment, surprised by the answer. He wasn’t totally sure what the answer meant, but he figured he could gather that protecting ‘A’s’ identity wasn’t the only reason for the mask. He wore long clothes and gloves all the time too. Kris thought that perhaps whatever the mask was covering extended over his entire body, and that was why ‘A’ kept his body almost completely covered up. All of that effort couldn’t just be for the sake of staying anonymous…what could he be hiding under all those black clothes? Was he scarred? Disfigured?

Despite the fact that Kris had suddenly seemed to find himself sharing ‘A’s’ living space, he still knew next to nothing about him. Kris was only finding himself more intrigued than ever – and the beginning of frustration that he wasn’t able to unravel any of the mystery that was ‘A’.

“If it’s alright with you, I think I’ll turn in early. Making those phone calls really did me in,” Kris said as he finished eating and got up from the table.

“You don’t have to ask for permission or any such thing. While you’re staying here, consider this just as much your home as it is mine.”

“Okay, thank you. Although, are you really sure it’s fine for me to keep sleeping where I have been? You said it was your bedroom. I’m sure I can sleep somewhere else…”

“Nonsense, you’ll keep the bedroom. You’re the one who needs rest to heal your injury. And besides, I don’t sleep very much.”

“Um, okay…if you’re sure,” Kris said as he set his dishes down in the sink and moved towards the door. “Well then…good night.”

“Good night, Kris.”

As Kris laid in bed later, the covers drawn up to his chin and his body half asleep, he kept hearing ‘A’s’ voice in his head, just saying Kris’ name over and over again.

 

When Kris got up and emerged from the bedroom the next morning, he was once again greeted by a sound to follow in the hallway. This time, it was music. The song sounded dated and canned, and Kris was totally stumped as to what kind of device it could be playing from. He padded down the hallway in search of it. Kris wandered into the area he would describe as the living room – with the big sofa and TV where they had watched the news the day before. Kris walked through and into the next room. 

Kris passed under the arched doorway, into a round room with wide, empty floor space and tapestries hung along the walls. The stone floor was covered by rugs in most of the other rooms, but here Kris’ footsteps echoed against the bare floor as he entered the room. 

In the left side of the round room stood an old-style jukebox, lights blinking as it cranked out the song Kris had heard from the hallway. ‘A’ was standing in front of it, his hands resting on the sides of the machine and his head tipped downwards as the music seemed to wash over him and fill the room.

Go on and cry me a river,  
Cry me a river,  
I cried a river over you

“It’s my favorite,” ‘A’ suddenly spoke, startling Kris a little. ‘A’ still hadn’t looked in his direction. “I couldn’t tell you why. It’s a rather sad song, I suppose. But I’ve listened to every last song in this machine, and this is the one I always come back to…”

“It’s beautiful, in its own way,” Kris said from the doorway. “I’ve hardly ever heard older music like this, what with all the entertainment regulations.”

“It’s such a shame that the government has taken away so many simple pleasures like this from the people.”

“How did you even come by that? I’ve never seen a jukebox in person before.”

“Let’s just say I took it for safe keeping.”

So he stole it from some government facility, Kris thought wryly. Well at least it was getting played and appreciated here. If it was still in the government’s hands, it would probably just be getting dusty, forgotten somewhere.

Kris looked at ‘A’ again and noticed then that he was wearing the full costume he always appeared in public in – complete with the wig and cloak. 

“Are you…going out to do something?” Kris asked.

“Not anything major,” ‘A’ replied, finally turning to face Kris. “Just some scouting while I figure out my next move. I was thinking about stopping by your apartment as well, to check on the condition and whether the police have been looking for you. Assuming the place isn’t infested with police, I can bring back some things for you, if that would be helpful.”

“Oh that would be great! I could really use some of my clothes. The clothes you lent me are great, but they’re just a little too big…”

“I understand.”

“Hold on one second! I’m gonna go write a quick list of things I need!”

Kris rushed off to the kitchen, in search of a pen and pad in the drawers. He found one as quickly as he could and scribbled out a quick list of some of his basic toiletry items and clothes. ‘A’ came into the kitchen a few minutes before Kris was done and just watched him silently.

“Here,” Kris said, handing the list to ‘A’. “It would be absolutely awesome if you could get all these, but even just a few would help.”

“I’ll do my best,” ‘A’ assured Kris as he tucked the list into a pocket beneath his cloak. 

“You know where my apartment is? Do you need the address?” Kris asked, thinking it was curious ‘A’ hadn’t asked for it already.

“No, I already know. I should be going now. I should be gone for most of the day.” ‘A’ started moving backwards towards the door, his eyes – invisible behind the mask - seemed to be fixed on Kris. Right before he disappeared behind the doorway, ‘A’ added, “While I’m gone, please don’t try to leave or run away somewhere. I can guarantee you won’t be able to find the exit.” And then he was gone.

Kris spent about a minute just standing there still, watching the doorway ‘A’ had just left through. A day earlier, finding a way out would have been exactly what Kris would have done. But seeing his own face on the news as a wanted man had shaken him, and he understood now that he really had no choice but to stay here where no one would find him. Still, Kris’ curiosity about this place was already eating at him, and with ‘A’ gone for a while Kris would be free to investigate. He hadn’t explored nearly all of it yet, and to be honest with himself, he was hoping to maybe uncover some things about ‘A’. 

Kris went around and examined all the rooms. He was hoping to maybe find some kind of secret switch that would lead to some sort of hidden room…but maybe he’d just seen too many movies. None of the rooms seemed to be hiding anything, much to Kris’ disappointment. The TV in the living room was just a TV – no secret passage behind it. The sofa wasn’t covering any trap doors in the floor. Kris tried lifting all of the smaller statues and artifacts sitting on shelves throughout the room – none caused a hidden door to slide open. 

What ‘A’ had said right before leaving about how Kris probably wouldn’t be able to find the exit also piqued Kris’ curiosity. He tried every door he came across, but they all led to different rooms or closets. None of them revealed the outside or an exit leading to street level. Despite being utterly perplexed as to how ‘A’ had left, he supposed the mystery was necessary. The exit had to be very well concealed from the outside, so it made sense that it was hard to find from the inside as well. Kris didn’t like the thought of being trapped in this underground grotto without knowledge of any way to get out, but he did his best to console himself. If he couldn’t find the door, the police probably couldn’t either, meaning Kris was completely safe where he was.

Finally, Kris walked into the one room he hadn’t really been in at all yet. It was located passed what Kris would call the sitting room – with sofas, bookshelves, and paintings along the walls. The small room passed the sitting room was just a round room similar to the one that held the jukebox, but this one oddly seemed to be almost entirely empty. There was a large, beautiful tapestry hung across the brick wall on one side, showing a young woman seated at a desk in the middle of a rolling field of tall grasses. The woman’s long hair was lifted by the wind and she held a quill in the hand her chin was propped on. She was smiling and her eyes looked towards a bird perched on the edge of her desk. Looking at the sunlit image brought out the darkness of the dim abode in comparison, not due to any lack of lighting but simply because of its location underground and lack of any natural sunlight from windows. Kris looked around, seeing the bricks of the wall plainly exposed the rest of the way around the room. Squinting, Kris walked closer to the wall opposite the tapestry. Some of the bricks seemed to protrude slightly from the wall in a line, almost forming a strange kind of pattern down the wall. Just for the sake of it, Kris stepped closer and touched all the protruding bricks. 

The bricks didn’t move, like Kris had half been expecting. He sighed softly. He looked along the wall again, squinted and stepped closer. There was something odd about the pattern of the bricks…

Kris stepped to the side slightly and then realized what had made the brick wall seem odd. The bricks were lifted out from the wall to make a walkway behind them. Thanks to the precisely uniform color of the bricks and the rounded slope of the circular walls, the passageway was almost concealed in plain sight unless the viewer had the right vantage point.

“Finally,” Kris whispered, feeling excited despite himself. It wasn’t any secret passage way or anything like he’d envisioned, but it was something. Kris slipped into the small walkway.

He stepped into another room beyond the short passageway. Nothing but darkness greeted Kris’ eyes. He couldn’t see a single thing. Holding his hands out to make sure he didn’t run into a wall or anything, he took a few tentative steps forward. He was a little creeped out and was about to turn and leave, when something clicked under his foot. A light flashed on over his head. Then, lights came on one by one along the ceiling, slowly illuminating a huge room that only grew in size as more of the lights flicked on. When all the lights were on, Kris could finally see the opposite wall – some thirty yards away. Much to Kris’ surprise, the sizeable room just seemed to be empty, the walls white and blank.

Then, something happened that surprised Kris even more. The walls on either side of him began to slide back like closet doors. Beyond them, Kris saw rows and rows of various guns. Large rifles lined up side by side along small handguns. Behind the other wall were grenades, explosives, an entire wall of knives, and countless other lethal-looking things Kris couldn’t even begin to name.

He stepped backwards. He wasn’t sure why the room’s contents were sending fear through him, but his heart was beating quickly and he pressed his clammy palms against the sides of his pants. 

He knew that right now, they were all just objects. They weren’t being wielded by anyone meant to harm. None of the guns were pointed at Kris. None of the knives were going to touch his skin. But just seeing them all there, neatly lined up and polished and glistening unnerved the hell out of Kris. He quickly turned to leave. As he slipped back through the passageway, the lights began clicking off again and the walls started sliding closed, once again hiding the stock of weapons. 

Kris sat himself down on the big sofa in the living room to watch TV. He didn’t feel like snooping around anymore. 

Kris wondered distantly if he should have taken a knife or something for self-defense. He seriously doubted he’d ever have the spine to use it, but he remembered the wariness and caution he’d felt around ‘A’ when he’d first woken up here and the memory of ‘A’ slaughtering the policemen in the Banking building had been fresh in Kris’ mind. In the two days since then, Kris had stopped feeling uneasy in ‘A’s’ presence. Sure, it was still a bit weird when ‘A’ seemed to always know exactly when Kris entered a room without looking, and how the man could sometimes sit completely silent and still with the dark eyes of his mask seeming to be focused on Kris for minutes at a time, but the memories of ‘A’ doing anything violent or dangerous seemed far away and unimportant now. Kris didn’t know if he was being foolish for thinking so, or just trusting the feeling in his gut ever growing stronger that ‘A’ was a kindhearted man whom Kris needn’t fear. Kris laughed a little bit at himself and his dumb idea. Of course there was no need to be brandishing weapons against a man who’d been tending his injury, cooking for him, and letting Kris sleep in his bed. …Not to mention had saved Kris’ life three times now. 

Kris thought back to the first time, in the Commerce building. Kris had only been half-awake through the smoke and haze of his head injury, and all he’d really been able to take in was the feel of ‘A’s’ strong arms holding him and carrying him to safety. Kris realized ‘A’ must have done the same thing again after the incident in the Banking building, to bring Kris here. An image came to his mind of ‘A’ leaping through the air from rooftop to rooftop, his dark cloak flapping behind him and Kris’ unconscious body cradled in his arms. Kris quickly laughed at himself again. He was no ditzy damsel, and ‘A’ was no comic book superhero flying over the skyline.

“But he is a hero,” Kris couldn’t help but whisper aloud. “Just a different kind.”

 

“Kris?”

Kris was half asleep on the couch, the TV screen still flashing in front of him, when he heard ‘A’s’ voice. He blinked sleepily and turned his head to see ‘A’ standing in the doorway. The bottom few inches of his cloak were pooled on the floor around his boots, and Kris slowly looked up to his masked face and dark wig. He reached underneath his cloak with one hand and revealed a small sack he’d been carrying. “Your things.”

“You were able to get them?” Kris asked eagerly, sitting up as ‘A’ entered the room and came over to the sofa. ‘A’ set the bag in Kris’ lap. Kris was about to eagerly open it, but then hesitated and looked up at ‘A’ again with a worried expression.

“How was my place? There weren’t any police there?”

“Not today, your apartment was empty,” ‘A’ replied. As he spoke, he unclasped the front of his cloak. Before it could fall, he swung it forward so he could fold it up and lay it across the back of the sofa. “Things looked to mostly be in order, nothing was broken into or destroyed, but there was evidence that the police have been there sometime in the last couple days.”

“I guess if they’re looking for me, that would be the first place they would have gone…” Kris mused aloud, his gaze falling back towards the bag in his lap as he wondered where he would be and what would have happened to him if he’d been in his apartment when the police had come.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Kris,” ‘A’ assured him as he sat down beside Kris on the sofa. “You’re safe here and like I said, your apartment was hardly disturbed. Why don’t you look through the bag to make sure I picked up the right things?”

“Oh…right.” 

Kris pulled open the sack and started rifling through the contents. He was incredibly happy to see more clothes to wear, so he wouldn’t be stuck in the work clothes he’d been wearing when the Banking incident happened, or have to borrow more of ‘A’ clothes which were a bit too big. Kris smiled when he saw his razor and soap and wallet, among the few other things he’d asked for.

As he looked through the bag, ‘A’ started divesting himself of the jacket he’d been wearing. Kris glanced up just in time to see ‘A’ pull the jacket open to reveal a handgun strapped into a holster that hung beneath his arm. ‘A’ seemed to hesitate then, and his head turned the slightest bit, like he was glancing at Kris. Kris’ eyes darted from the gun, up to ‘A’s’ masked face, then quickly back to the bag in his lap. ‘A’ pushed the gun holster back out of sight and closed his jacket again.

“Everything looks great. Thanks again. I feel a lot better now with some of my things here, so I won’t have to be using all your stuff.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, although you’re no trouble at all. I must confess I was a bit apprehensive at first about how this arrangement would work out with you staying here, but you’ve been very pleasant and mature about all this.”

Kris snorted a little, “Yeah, except for that first day.”

“You were surprised, and it was a lot to take in. Anyone would have reacted like that when first faced with your position.”

“I suppose so.”

Kris looked back towards the TV for a few moments as silence fell into the room.

“Well, I’m quite starved,” ‘A’ announced then, patting his gloved hands against his legs once before standing up. “You can take those to the bedroom or bathroom, whichever you like,” he said, nodding towards the bag in Kris’ lap, “And I’ll start dinner shortly.”

“Okay. Tell me when you’ve just about finished so I can at least help set the table.”

“As you wish.”

‘A’ picked up his cloak from the back of the sofa before moving to leave the room. Kris watched him, and saw the gleam of two guns in the holsters beneath his unzipped jacket. Kris watched him turn and leave the room. 

Even having just seen the evidence himself that ‘A’ carried and regularly used guns, it seemed oddly difficult to connect the man who’d just been sitting on the couch with him to the man who made use of the weapons store room Kris had stumbled into. Kris knew full well that ‘A’ could kill quickly and easily, but it was hard to believe since he’d been nothing but gentle and good to Kris. Sure, Kris had watched ‘A’ kill police officers and send buildings up in flames, but taking life didn’t seem like so heinous an act when it was the lives of the abominable police that were being considered. Even though the weapons room Kris had stumbled into could bring about nearly endless terror and death when placed in evil hands, Kris found himself unable to think ‘A’s’ hands as such. While the sight of all the guns and knives had made Kris terribly afraid, somehow, the idea of those things being wielded by ‘A’ made him much less so.

I must be crazy, Kris thought to himself as he got up to find a place for his clothes and things – utterly unable to understand his own thoughts.

Dinner was silent, uneventful, and just a little bit awkward – as per usual. Kris ate quietly from his plate of food that had been expertly prepared by ‘A’, while the other man sat silent and unmoving across from him, his own plate untouched before him. 

“So, um…where did you go today, aside from my apartment?” Kris asked, grappling for anything at all to fill the quietness with. “If you don’t mind me asking…I’m not trying to pry or anything…”

“It’s alright, Kris. I just did some investigating to test the plausibility of my next move. It will most likely either be an attack on the main police headquarters or the prime minister’s residence, if I can find it.”

“Oh,…they both sound pretty difficult.”

“No doubt, they both are. That’s why I’m studying up, to try to determine which would be less of a suicide mission.”

“All your previous plans seemed to be brilliantly conceived and executed. You never let them corner you or get you in a pinch.”

“Oh, I’ve certainly had my fill of pinch situations. Perhaps being trapped in so many is how I’ve learned to escape them.”

“Yeah…maybe,” Kris said, looking back to his plate and starting to eat again. Kris noticed ‘A’ lift his fork to idly push the food around on his plate. Kris quickly took another big bite from his own plate. The uneasiness he felt during their shared meals surged, as once again ‘A’ had to wait to eat until Kris had gone and ‘A’ could remove his mask. Kris ate more quickly. ‘A’ had been out sneaking about the city all day, so he must have been hungry. Kris finished and immediately got up to carry his dishes to the sink. 

“Thank you for the meal. I’ll get out of your hair now right away so you can eat too.”

“Oh-…you don’t have to feel the need to rush off…,” ‘A’ said, turning in his chair slightly to face Kris. His voice seemed hesitant, like he hadn’t wanted Kris to notice the necessary eating arrangement.

“No, don’t worry. I’m finished,” Kris said right away, waving the issue off with his hand before leaving the kitchen without another word.

Kris went back to the living room-type space, plopped down on the couch, and turned the flat screen TV back on to watch, as he had been doing for most of the day since discovering the hidden weapons storeroom. He flicked through the channels before settling for some sitcom. He settled down on the couch, laying out sideways with a pillow under his head. His gaze remained in the direction of the TV, but his attention and thoughts were mostly directed elsewhere. 

Despite how the questioning curiosity was Kris’ frequent companion, he once again found himself wondering about ‘A’s’ need to mask himself. While ‘A’ always wore the mask to hide his identity, it was obvious that Kris was in no position to go reporting anything about him to the government, so why couldn’t ‘A’ loosen the habit a little around Kris? Kris couldn’t help but wonder whether the real reason ‘A’ always wore the mask around Kris was now a different one from why he wore it in public – Perhaps because he didn’t want Kris in particular to see whatever it was ‘A’ went to such pains to hide beneath clothes, gloves, and a mask. 

 

‘A’ came into the living room a while later, after he’d finished cleaning up the kitchen. He’d changed out of the costume he wore outside, and now was in only loose jeans and a black long sleeve shirt that extended all the way down over his gloves. His dark hair stuck out messily from his head, the shorter pieces in the front falling over the pale white of his mask. Seeing the TV was on, he moved into the room. He saw Kris sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep. ‘A’ frowned slightly beneath his mask. This wouldn’t do. Kris would certainly wake up with soreness if he slept the whole night on the couch rather than in bed. Not to mention, ‘A’ had gotten rather used to sleeping on the couch himself since Kris had come. 

‘A’ just stood before the couch for a long while, not quite sure what to do. After finally seeming to have come to a decision, he picked up the remote from beside Kris’ sleeping form and switched off the television. ‘A’ then turned back towards Kris and knelt down before the sofa. Minding his movements to be slow and gentle, he carefully slid his arms beneath Kris’ sleeping form and lifted him up from the couch. Once ‘A’ was standing upright again with Kris carefully balanced in his arms, Kris made a sighing sound in his sleep, then his arms seemed to move on their own accord and slipped their way up around ‘A’s’ neck, even as Kris slept on. ‘A’ took a deep intake of breath when he felt Kris’ arms naturally settle around his neck.

Moving gingerly so as not to wake Kris, ‘A’ carried him to the bedroom. He watched Kris’ face as he moved, cautious not to wake him and also wary of having to explain himself should Kris awaken. Luckily, Kris stayed sound asleep all while ‘A’ gently set him down in bed and then pulled the blankets up over him. 

‘A’ sat down on the edge of the bed, beside Kris. He just watched Kris for a minute, watched his eyelids flicker from whatever was happening beneath them, watched his chest gently rise and fall with his breathing. ‘A’ sighed suddenly, his gaze leaving Kris and just looking forward now as he slumped forward, his elbows propped on his knees. He sighed again, heavily, and reached up to pull his mask away so he could rest his head in his hands, his cupped hands covering his face.

“What am I doing?” he asked himself softly, his voice sounding worn and lost. After not moving for a few minutes, he dropped his hands and finally rose from the bed. He reaffixed the mask as he left the room and softly pulled the heavy door closed behind him.

 

Kris woke the next morning with a yawn and a long stretch, spreading his limbs out in the spacious bed. Sitting up, he looked around the cluttered bedroom in puzzlement for a few seconds, as he could only remember lying on the couch in front of the TV the night before. How had he gotten into the bedroom? Kris blushed slightly as he realized that once again, ‘A’ must have carried him. It seemed to be becoming a recurring pattern, and Kris was just a bit embarrassed. Not wanting to dwell on it (and also a bit concerned he might start thinking too much about being in ‘A’s’ arms), Kris slid towards the edge of the bed to get up. He paused when he saw a folded piece of paper on the bedside table, sitting on top of a small stack of books that hadn’t been there before. Until now, the bedside table had been the only surface in the room without books littered across it. Kris was always having to tip toe around the countless piles of books all over the bedroom floor and practically spilling from the bookshelves lining the room. 

Kris picked up the paper and unfolded it to see a few lines of handwritten scrawl. Kris started to read.

Kris,

I’ve had to go out very early, and I’m afraid I won’t return until rather late. There’s plenty of food in the refrigerator you can heat up. Feel free to help yourself to whatever you’d like. In the meantime, I do hope you find other things to occupy yourself with besides just television. I’d hate for you to feel like some prisoner, cooped up with nothing to do. So I took the liberty of setting out a few of my favorite books, if you’re in the mood. You may certainly read any of the books I’ve collected, should you find others that interest you. 

Curious to see what kind of books made ‘A’s’ list of favorites, Kris set the note aside and picked up the short stack of books. The government kept a strict, restrictive list of the books that were permitted in libraries and bookstores, so while Kris was familiar with the names of classic authors and novels, he hadn’t had the opportunity to read very many. Kris pulled the stack of books onto his lap and looked through them. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but he still felt surprised by ‘A’s’ choices. There was Jane Austen’s Sense And Sensibility, E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View, Alexander Dumas’ The Count Of Monte Christo, and Choderlos de Laclos’ Dangerous Liaisons. Kris just held the books in his lap for a few moments, stroking his hands along the book covers. He had never read any of them before. They were each beautiful editions, all kept in near pristine condition. Kris was suddenly thrilled and filled with excitement at this chance to delve into whatever literature he liked. 

He looked back to the note ‘A’ had left for him and then was momentarily struck and honored by the thoughtfulness of this gesture on ‘A’s’ part. It was grand enough that he was allowing Kris full access to this impressive library he had collected and obviously taken pains to care for, but not only that, Kris imagined ‘A’ silently moving about the room in the early hours of the morning while Kris slept, looking over the shelves and shelves of books until he picked out these four and set them beside the bed, just for his hope that Kris would find enjoyment from the same novels ‘A’ had. It was obvious that ‘A’ had plenty on his plate already with his mission against the government, yet he was still taking time to try to keep Kris happy and comfortable. Kris could hardly decide which of the four to read first. He hugged all four to his chest as he got up and left the bedroom. These books must have been close to ‘A’s’ heart, and Kris felt honored that ‘A’ had seen fit to share them with him.

In the kitchen, Kris found that a breakfast platter had already been set out for him. Kris picked it up to bring into the living room. He set it down on the table in front of the couch and sat down while he carefully laid out the books along the tabletop. He was completely at a loss for which to read first. Kris finally had to just close his eyes and pick one at random. His hand landed on A Room With A View, and so Kris opened the book and settled back on the couch.

Kris lost himself immediately. The writing was so beautiful, the rich scenes and characters painted so exquisitely,…Kris had never had the privilege of reading anything with such merit before. Kris was struck by the beauty of the language, the way the world around him could literally just fall away as he became tangled up in the stunning prose. He would never understand how the prime minister could live with himself for depriving the people of literature like this.

Kris often had to pause to re-read some passages, to fully understand and appreciate them. Only into the second chapter, he had to stop and just consider the words in wonder when he found the following passage, 

“We know that we come from the winds, and that we shall return to them; that all life is perhaps a knot, a tangle, a blemish in the eternal smoothness. But why should this make us unhappy? Let us rather love one another, and work and rejoice.”

And then there were the moments in which the characters reflected on their helplessness to the great powers of love, and Kris was so incredibly moved.

“George had turned at the sound of her arrival. For a moment he contemplated her, as one who had fallen out of heaven. He saw radiant joy in her face, he saw the flowers beat against her dress in blue waves. The bushes above them closed. He stepped quickly forward and kissed her.”

Kris never doubted for a second that ‘A’ was intelligent enough to fully appreciate these books for the masterpieces they were. Yet it was difficult, ironic even, in Kris’ mind to place ‘A’s’ fierce masked character beside this achingly beautiful romantic language. The same man that killed police officers and worked tirelessly on his schemes against the government, also spent time with books like these, reading the accounts of young people’s romantic trials. 

Kris didn’t move until he’d finished the book. It was, without doubt, the most beautiful thing he had ever read. He quickly brought his now empty dishes into the kitchen and went to the bathroom before hurrying back to choose his next book. Once again, he had to close his eyes and pick randomly. Dangerous Liaisons was next, and Kris settled himself down on the couch and whole-heartedly dove in.

This book was different from the last, less about pure experiences of love and more about the darker sides of deception and desire. Kris lost himself in the pages all the same. Hours passed and he eagerly turned the pages. While Kris raced through most of the book, one particular passage made him pause, and kept beating around in his head.

“ ‘Now, I’m not going to deny that I was aware of your beauty. But the point is, this has nothing to do with your beauty. As I got to know you, I began to realize that beauty was the least of your qualities. I became fascinated by your goodness. I was drawn in by it. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. And it was only when I began to feel actual, physical pain every time you left the room that it finally dawned on me: I was in love, for the first time in my life. I knew it was hopeless, but that didn’t matter to me. And it’s not that I want to have you. All I want is to deserve you.’ ”

As ridiculous as it may have been, Kris couldn’t help but think that he understood. Of course, the situation was completely different for him. He hadn’t the slightest idea what ‘A’ looked like or about his ‘beauty’, rather, at first all Kris had known was ‘A’s’ admirable goal and unending courage, and at first, that fierce character that ‘A’ was had frightened Kris just as much as it thrilled him. But the more time Kris was spending here with ‘A’, the more he was becoming drawn in by ‘A’s’ quiet thoughtfulness, attracted by his kindness…

Kris laughed at himself a little and made himself stop chasing that train of thought. He turned his attention eagerly back to the book. He got so absorbed, he almost forgot to get up and eat dinner. Afterwards, he curled right up on the couch again.

He was just approaching the book’s climax when he heard ‘A’s’ voice from the doorway.

“Went for the racy one, I see.”

Kris looked up over the top of the book. ‘A’ was standing in the doorway in his full ensemble, complete with the wig and cloak. Automatically, Kris smiled a little.

“I already finished Room With A View. I absolutely loved it. I had to read more.”

“You read an entire novel already today?”

“I really couldn’t put it down,” Kris said, still smiling. ‘A’ fell silent, and not for the first time, Kris wished desperately that he could see ‘A’s’ face. He was sure the other man’s face was reflecting his own smile.

“I’m so glad you’re enjoying them.”

“Thank you so much for letting me read them,” Kris hurried to say, “They’re really…really wonderful.”

“Then I hope you read your fill, and find enjoyment in plenty of my other books. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m absolutely starving…” ‘A’ said, turning to go into the kitchen.

Kris was quick to tell him, “Wait! I heated up and prepared a platter for you too, when I made mine. It’s in the oven, to stay warm.”

‘A’ looked back in Kris’ direction and was silent for just a beat too long before responding, “Thank you, Kris. I appreciate that.”

It still spooked Kris just the tiniest bit, when ‘A’ would fall silent for several seemingly unending seconds, while he just watched Kris, the pale mask turned towards him and ‘A’s’ eyes unreachable through the mesh eye coverings. Kris thought it wouldn’t be nearly as bad if Kris could at least see the other man’s eyes.

“No problem,” Kris said, cracking a smile before ‘A’ left the room.

On the frequent days ‘A’ went out, he always returned soundlessly, appearing in the doorway of whatever room Kris was in, with no warning but his soft greeting, but rather than being startled or perturbed by his sudden appearance, it seemed more and more that Kris always found himself happy and relieved to know that ‘A’ was home again, back in this underground hideaway with him.

Kris was nearing the end of the book when ‘A’ reappeared in the living room a few hours later, having eaten, showered, and changed into casual clothes.

“Do you mind if I sit with you?” he asked, pausing beside the couch.

Kris offered him a smile over the top of the book, “Of course not. It is your house, after all.”

‘A’ chuckled lightly as he sat down on the opposite side of the couch from Kris. “I suppose you’re right.” ‘A’ picked up the TV remote and turned on the news. He turned the volume down. “Tell me if I’m disturbing you. I wouldn’t want you to be distracted from that book’s wonderfully dramatic ending.”

“You’re fine,” Kris assured. 

The news didn’t distract Kris in the least, and yet Kris found it difficult to read any further. He kept having to go back and reread paragraphs, whole pages. His eyes and his thoughts just kept wandering, again and again to the man sitting on the opposite side of the couch. Kris’ senses seemed inexorably drawn to him and his presence.

 

Kris awoke in the bed the next morning, alarmed for a moment by his surroundings. It took him a minute to remember where he was. He closed his eyes again. He’d dreamed of being back in his apartment, with his friends – back in his normal life. Kris’ dream revived the shock of all that had happened to him, and the unbelievable nature of his current residence. Kris felt a pang of what was undeniably homesickness. 

Kris made himself get up, not wanting to stay in bed wallowing. Yawning, he shuffled out into the hallway and towards the kitchen. ‘A’ was standing in the kitchen, humming as he washed dishes in the sink. 

“Good morning,” he said as soon as Kris walked into the room, and without turning his head. “Your breakfast is still warm.” ‘A’ pushed a plate of pancakes in Kris’ direction on the counter. Kris mumbled a thank you as he picked up the plate and sat down at the table with it. Without saying anything else, he dug into his pancakes. 

The kitchen was silent for a few long minutes as ‘A’ washed the dishes and Kris slowly chewed bites of his breakfast. When ‘A’ finally finished, he took off the red apron he’d been wearing and turning in Kris’ direction.

“I don’t think you’ve ever been so quiet. Are you alright?”

“Yeah,…yes, I’m fine,” Kris replied quickly before shoveling a big bite into his mouth. ‘A’ didn’t move as Kris chewed and swallowed. Kris glanced up at ‘A’ and saw him still appear to be looking in Kris’ direction. With the mask, it was impossible to ever know for sure where he was looking, but Kris was certain he could feel the weight of the other man’s gaze. Kris sighed, and his fork finally stilled. He looked from ‘A’ back to his plate of pancakes. 

“I…just had a dream. It made me miss home, and my friends.”

“…..I see,” ‘A’ replied with a long breath. Kris put another bite of pancake in his mouth, embarrassed by what he’d said and the somewhat awkward air that followed it.

“Kris…,” ‘A’ started in a soft tone, as if talking to an injured child, and Kris had to look back at him, “I hope you know, I promise that I’m only keeping you here as long as there’s reason to believe you’re in danger from the government.”

Kris looked back to his pancakes. “I know, I understand.” He took another bite of pancake, staring at the small stack of them before him and the ample syrup that had been carefully poured over them, now dripping onto the plate. As he chewed, regret quickly began to set in for saying what he had.

“I-I’m sorry,” Kris said, looking back towards ‘A’, who hadn’t moved from his place next to the sink. “You’ve been nothing but generous and kind to me, and I’m complaining…”

“This was a very sudden and unexpected turn in your life. No one would begrudge you your natural feelings.” Kris stirred a bite of pancake around in the syrup on his plate, watching the sticky substance get spread around. “I wish I could predict how much longer you’ll have to stay hidden,” ‘A’ continued, “But I’m afraid I saw your face on a ‘wanted’ blurb on the news again just last night.”

Kris groaned softly, closing his eyes. He still could hardly believe he was wanted by the government.

“I’m sorry,” ‘A’ spoke again, making Kris open his eyes as ‘A’s’ words made Kris come back to himself a bit, and remember where he was.

“No, no, you’ve made enough apologies, even though you have nothing to be sorry for. You saved me. I’m just…just being foolish.”

Kris brought his dishes over to the counter ‘A’ was standing in front of and set them down. Then he turned to face ‘A’. 

“I don’t want you to feel unhappy, or like a prisoner,” ‘A’ was first to speak.

“I don’t, not at all,” Kris quickly replied. He went on after a few seconds, his eyes wandering down towards the ground, “I know I’m here for my own safety, and yours. I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. It’s just…strange, not knowing where I am or where the door out is…” he gave a little awkward laugh, “This all seems like some elaborate dream or film scene,…hardly something that could happen to me. It’s just such a stark change from my old, normal life, and my dream just highlighted that.”

“I understand, Kris, really.”

Kris looked back up to ‘A’s’ masked face and smiled a little at him, glad that he wasn’t offended or upset by Kris voicing his bout of homesickness. Kris hadn’t really been thinking when he’d mentioned his dream, and he would hate for ‘A’ to think Kris didn’t appreciate everything he was doing for Kris and how well he was treating him. Kris supposed he had become too comfortable around ‘A’, too eager to spill whatever was on his mind the second ‘A’ inquired.

“Would you let me examine your arm?” ‘A’ asked, breaking Kris’ thoughts. Kris looked down to where his arm was still bandaged. It hardly hurt at all anymore and was mostly healed. 

“Sure. I didn’t do too good of a job when I bandaged it myself last night.” And Kris immediately held out his injured arm to the masked man’s gentle hands.

 

Later in the afternoon, after changing Kris’ bandages (even though the wound was practically healed by now), ‘A’ had to go out. Kris had no trouble entertaining himself, sprawling out on the living room couch with Sense And Sensibility, but not even an hour later, his stomach gave a hungry rumble. He’d been distracted from eating much at breakfast, thanks to the dream he’d had and his homesickness. So he ventured into the kitchen to find himself something to eat. 

As soon as he started looking through the refrigerator, he found himself thinking back to dinner the previous night - How ‘A’ had seemed hungry and Kris had made himself hurry to finish so ‘A’ could eat as soon as Kris was gone from the room. There had to be some way around that, some way that didn’t make ‘A’ have to wait until the food went cold. Kris turned to look at the kitchen table, where he and ‘A’ ate together. He started to get an idea.

When ‘A’ returned that evening, it was to an apartment smelling of alfredo sauce, and Kris bustling about the kitchen.

“Kris?” he asked from the doorway. Kris jumped from his sudden greeting, and ‘A’ quickly apologized.

“No, it’s fine. Your timing’s great!” Kris said with a grin, stirring a pot on the stove. “I’m almost done.”

“You didn’t have to go through the trouble of cooking for yourself, Kris. I left plenty of leftovers in the fridge.”

“I wanted to make something fresh, and for both of us. I hope you like pasta.”

‘A’ was quiet for a moment, somewhat stunned. Then, he said in a soft, almost wondrous voice, “Pasta sounds wonderful.”

“Great. It’ll be done momentarily.”

“Shall I set the table?” ‘A’ asked. He removed his cloak and wig and set them down on a section of the counter Kris wasn’t using.

“Sure,” Kris said, biting his lip as he waited for ‘A’ to see the table.

‘A’ picked up the necessary silverware from a drawer. He turned towards the table, and then paused.

“You rearranged the chairs?” Kris had turned the table long-wise, and moved the chairs so they stood side by side, rather than across from each other. 

Kris quickly turned around, rushing to speak, “It’s not fair that you have to wait until I’m done and leave the room and the food’s gone cold. I’ll sit over there, and I swear I won’t turn towards you, so you can take off your mask and eat with me.”

“Kris…”

“I promise, I won’t look. My pasta isn’t going to be eaten cold. You’re eating now or not at all.” He folded his arms, doing his best to look stern and not betray how nervous he was for ‘A’s’ reaction. Kris suffered through ‘A’ customary long, pregnant silence, before the other man finally chuckled softly.

“Alright fine, you win.”

Kris’ face split into a grin. “Perfect. Now I’ll serve up the food. You get the drinks, alright?”

When all the food was laid out on the table, ‘A’ stood next to it for a moment. When Kris came over to set down the final plate, ‘A’s’ hand caught Kris’ wrist, holding him in place for a moment. Kris looked up at him, eyes wide.

“You’ll make good on that promise?” ‘A’ asked him softly, his voice delicate and almost vulnerable, “You won’t even glance?”

Kris brought up his other hand to touch ‘A’s’ that still gripped his wrist. “I promise.” Kris looked right up into ‘A’s’ face, right at the dark one-way windows of his eyes. He couldn’t see the other man’s eyes, but he wanted ‘A’ to see the honesty in his own. 

Kris’ avid curiosity about ‘A’ – especially what was hidden under his mask – seemed to eat more at Kris with each passing day, but he didn’t mean this as some trap or hoax. He would never want to abuse ‘A’s’ trust. 

‘A’ let go of Kris’ wrist, and they sat down at the table. “I hope you like it,” Kris said, setting his focus on his plate, where he resolved it would stay.

“I’m sure I will. Thank you for being so thoughtful, Kris.”

Kris shrugged, chewing on a big bite. “You cook for me all the time. No big deal.”

‘A’ lifted his gloved hands to his face and slowly slid his mask away. Kris only heard him moving, then heard the plunk of ‘A’s’ mask being set down on the table between them.

They each ate a few bites. Then ‘A’ spoke up, “I was rather hungry, I must admit.”

“See? It was a great idea.” Kris had to aim his smile nowhere but into his own plate. 

“This arrangement does make conversation a bit difficult, though.”

“We can always talk later.”

As Kris ate, no matter how close he kept his gaze on his plate, he kept seeing the edge of ‘A’s’ mask on the table. Slowly, carefully, Kris’ gaze wandered only the slightest bit. Then he couldn’t look away from the mask resting on the table. The pale white stood out in stark contrast from the wooden table, the red of the mouth so bright it was jarring to look at. It was the only face Kris could associate with ‘A’, and he wore it so faithfully, it might as well have really been his face. Seeing the mask there - separated, bodiless – was somehow shocking in a way Kris wasn’t expecting. It was the face of the vigilante the people silently cheered on, the face of the criminal the government tirelessly hunted. Yet, the face was just a two-dimensional mask. 

Kris was suddenly keenly aware of ‘A’s’ form sitting beside him, quietly eating. This wasn’t the vigilante or the criminal, this was the man Kris had been living with and was slowly coming to know, the man who’d been looking after him, who’d shared his books with him, who cooked for him, let Kris stay in his bedroom, who’d tended to his injury. This was the man who’d saved his life three times now, and treated Kris like no one else ever had.

Kris found himself thinking back to that passage in Dangerous Liaisons that had given him pause, about being drawn in, fascinated by a person’s nature – by their goodness. 

‘A’ silently reaffixed his mask when he was finished eating. They cleared the table and washed the dishes together. Kris washed, ‘A’ dried. Afterwards, Kris went back to his book in the living room. ‘A’ turned the news on. He caught the newsperson right in the middle of saying how much closer they were to catching ‘A’. ‘A’ laughed under his breath. 

“Are they any closer?” Kris asked.

“Not one bit. They just don’t want to tell the people about their great incompetence when it comes to me. Still, I watch the news every night to make sure they really haven’t gotten anything on me. Thankfully, they aren’t any closer than they were when I made my first appearance.”

‘A’ changed the channel to some black and white film. He kept the volume low while Kris became absorbed in his book again. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes later when Kris heard a soft rumbling sound. He looked over to the other side of the couch. ‘A’ had slouched down slightly where he was sitting, his head tilted back against the back of the couch. He was snoring. Kris couldn’t help smiling into his book. He finished the chapter he was reading, then turned off the TV and slid quietly from the room to let ‘A’ sleep.

 

The next morning, Kris awoke knowing it was early. There were no windows and only one clock in the apartment, so after long enough Kris had acquired something of a natural sense for the time of day. Kris rolled over and burrowed down in the blankets, trying to get to sleep again. It didn’t happen. Well, no harm in getting up early, he supposed.

He pulled the big wooden door to the bedroom open. He’d gotten used to it now, and it didn’t make the huge clunking sound it used to every time Kris fought to get it open. He yawned as he made his way to the kitchen, but as he moved past the doorway to the living room, he stopped in his tracks.

‘A’ was in the center of the room. He’d pushed the sofa against one of the walls, so the floor space of the room was open and empty. He was engrossed in the middle of an exercise regimen. The mask was affixed to his face as always, but he was shirtless and his gloves were gone. He was breathing hard and the muscles in his upper body were visibly taut as he worked his way through a kickboxing routine. Kris froze where he stood, unable to look away. 

Light on his feet and moving with precise speed, ‘A’ was performing a pattern alternating between waist high kicks and lightning-fast punches. His hands stayed balled in fists, and Kris could see from the doorway the puckered pink of his thoroughly scarred hands. ‘A’ was moving and jumping around so much, at first Kris didn’t see anything but the lean, toned muscle of his form. It surprised Kris, as ‘A’ always kept himself covered from head to toe. But to have the strength and fighting abilities ‘A’ did, it only made sense that his body would be developed like this. Kris kept watching as ‘A’ finished the last pattern, and then started doing push-ups and sit-ups. 

Then Kris could make out the marks and blemishes all across his chest and back. Some were raised pink like his hands, some were a darker, angrier shade of red, cutting deep and long into his skin. Kris couldn’t see them very well. The sight was jarring, but watching them on ‘A’s’ strong body while he effortlessly did push-ups and planks, pity seemed inappropriate. From this distance, Kris couldn’t make out the scars very well, they just seemed like little splotches of color against his body while his muscles strained in his workout. 

‘A’ got up then, and walked closer to the doorway, but Kris was rooted to the spot. There was a metal bar mounted to the wall over the doorway and then, facing Kris’ direction, ‘A’ jumped to grab hold of it and started doing pull-ups. Kris watched his rough, pink hands gripping the bar, the similar pale scar tissue running up his arms even while his biceps worked and he lifted himself over and over again. 

Then ‘A’ caught sight of Kris, huddled back in the edge of the doorway. He choked out Kris’ name and just barely managed to land on his feet when his hands slipped from the bar in his surprise. Kris started, mortified that ‘A’ had seen him lurking in the doorway like that. He hadn’t even really meant to do it, he’d just seen ‘A’ and then hadn’t been able to leave…

“W-what are you…How long have you been there?!” ‘A’ stammered, sounding somewhat angry, but more shocked. He moved quickly to the sofa, where his shirt was draped over the back and his hands scrambled to pull his shirt back on.

Almost the whole time… “Only like a minute! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“You’re never up this early!” ‘A’ exclaimed, moving quickly to push his arms through the sleeves of his shirt and pull it down to cover him like usual. He seemed to catch sight of his scarred hands after he’d pulled his shirt on, and started looking around frantically for his gloves. When he couldn’t see them, he pushed his hands behind his back. He stood silent, shifting back and forth on his feet and looking rather helpless. 

“I-I’m really sorry,” Kris said again, “I’m gonna go so you can finish…” 

He hurried out of the doorway and down the hall, feeling absolutely terrible for catching ‘A’ off guard like that, like he’d been spying. It was plenty clear, through all the efforts ‘A’ went through to cover himself up, that he didn’t want Kris to see all the scars that covered him. Kris didn’t think they were so horrible, but then again, he’d only seen them from a distance just now, and not very clearly. But Kris still hadn’t seen his face – the one thing Kris could possible take to the government or use against him. …As if he would ever.

‘A’ didn’t join Kris for breakfast. Kris fixed platters for both of them, but for the first time, ‘A’ didn’t come. Kris chewed his lip as he washed up his dishes, nervous that he’d unintentionally really upset or angered ‘A’. He left ‘A’s’ still-full plate out on the counter. 

What was Kris supposed to do? He’d woken up early and was going to the kitchen because he was hungry, and he’d seen ‘A’ on the way. Even if he’d hurried on and not let ‘A’ know that Kris had been there, Kris would have still seen. Kris hadn’t had any intention to sneak up on ‘A’ like that, it had just happened. Kris couldn’t exactly be sure what it was that had frozen him there in the doorway – whether it was the scars he was getting a glimpse of for the first time, or the striking physique of his bare upper body that Kris was also seeing for the first time. 

Kris decided to go back to the bedroom, to make himself scarce and give ‘A’ time to himself until he was ready to see Kris. Kris resolutely didn’t even look in any of the rooms he passed on his way to the bedroom. He left the door open incase ‘A’ came to talk, before getting back in bed with his book.

He couldn’t focus. His mind kept replaying that little bit of ‘A’s’ body that he’d seen, the expanses of marred skin, his pink hands… It did nothing for his terrible curiosity. What had done that to ‘A’ and given him those countless scars? How could he have born all the pain they must have caused him? Were they what had driven him to his mission against the government? Or had he gotten them afterwards, in some fight with police forces? And still, Kris didn’t have even a hint as to what his face looked like. Did the scarring extend up his neck as well? Was his face so disfigured that that was the reason he wore the mask around the apartment constantly, and it wasn’t just to hide his identity? 

Kris kept tapping his foot, drumming his fingers against the cover of his book, wondering how long it would be until ‘A’ came and spoke with him about what had happened. Maybe he had gone out? No, he always came and told Kris before he left… 

Kris couldn’t tell exactly how long it was, but it must have been at least two hours that he sat there trying his best to read. He could barely make it through a chapter, as his mind kept wandering back to what had happened in the morning.

Finally, what seemed like ages later, he closed the book and got up to leave the room and look for ‘A’, to apologize again.

Kris found him in the living room once again. The sofa had been moved back to its normal place in the center of the room. ‘A’ sat in the middle of it, back in his normal attire of long pants, long sleeves, gloves, and of course his mask. Kris swallowed back his sudden nervousness of how ‘A’ would react to him, and made himself immediately come into the room rather than lurking in the doorway like he made the mistake of doing earlier.

“ ‘A?’,” Kris asked softly as he stepped into the room. Then he saw what ‘A’ was doing. The table in front of the sofa was laid out with guns. They were all different sizes, yet all gleamed an intimidating, spotless black. ‘A’ had one across his lap, partly disassembled. He had a cloth in one hand, and was meticulously cleaning the gun piece by piece. He didn’t say anything, but Kris knew he had heard him. 

“I wanted to come say sorry again, for this morning. I didn’t mean to do it, really, and I don’t know if it makes you feel any better, but…I don’t think…,” Kris floundered for words for a moment, “…I don’t think what I saw was so terrible. I had imagined it could be a lot worse.” He winced slightly at his own ill-chosen speech. Still, ‘A’ said nothing. He just snapped the barrel of the gun back on, after wiping it down. “You aren’t planning on shooting me with one of those, are you?” Kris attempted humor, then gave a brief awkward laugh when he realized he’d totally missed the mark. That made ‘A’ finally look up and just study Kris for a few long moments. Kris fidgeted a little where he stood, weaving his hands together and trying to smile.

“That’s a terrible joke, Kris.” 

Kris was glad to hear him finally say anything at all. “I-I know, I’m sorry. I just…don’t know what to say about this morning, and I want things to be normal again.” ‘A’ turned his head back to cleaning the gun, and Kris frowned a little, hoping he hadn’t managed to offend ‘A’ now with his thoughtless words. “Look…,” Kris tried again, “I may have been kind of afraid of you at the beginning, when I didn’t know what to expect, but now I know you would never…never do anything like that…”

“Like what?” ‘A’ prompted, looking at Kris again.

Kris swallowed hard, “Hurt someone who was innocent.”

‘A’s’ head stayed turned in Kris’ direction, and Kris shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he felt like ‘A’ was just staring and evaluating him. It seemed like hours later, but it couldn’t have been more than a minute before ‘A’ turned his head to click the parts of the gun in his lap back together and set it down on the table. Without a word, he stood up and walked across the room, into the small circular room that was beyond the living room. It was the room with the old jukebox that ‘A’ played now and then. Tentatively, Kris followed him. ‘A’ rested his gloved hands on the jukebox for a moment, then clicked through the song catalogue. A moment later, the canned old tune that was ‘A’s’ favorite began to play.

“This one again?” Kris asked softly, smiling a little as he heard the now-familiar words.

Go on and cry me a river, cry me a river  
I cried a river, over you…

‘A’ just kept staring into the fluorescent lighting of the jukebox while the beginning of the song played. Then he said, “You know, I’ve heard this song countless times, but…I’ve never had the pleasure of a dance to it.” Then he finally lowered his hands back to his sides, and turned towards Kris. “Would you, perhaps? With me?”

Kris blinked in surprise. Though unexpected, he was glad it seemed ‘A’ wasn’t angry with him. Then when he thought about what ‘A’ had asked, he looked down towards the floor a little shyly. “The only kind of dancing I’ve ever done is in a night club. I’m not sure I would be any good with this kind of music.”

“Perhaps we’ll be able to figure it out together.”

Kris looked back up, looked at ‘A’, who was standing still in front of the juke box, watching him. Kris smiled slowly, easily. “Okay.”

Kris walked farther into the small, round room, closer to ‘A’. The other man slowly held his arms out towards Kris. Without a bout of hesitation aside from his quickening heart, Kris stepped close so that he could lay one hand on ‘A’s’ shoulder, and place his other in one of ‘A’s’ splayed gloved hands. ‘A’s’ other hand gently took Kris’ waist. 

Kris looked down to watch their feet as ‘A’ took the first leading steps. Kris couldn’t help but let out a soft little awkward laugh as he stumbled a bit to follow ‘A’s’ steps.

“You cheater, you’ve totally done this before,” Kris said with an unconscious smile, and ‘A’ laughed.

“Only a very, very long time ago. Don’t worry, you’ll get it. It’s quite easy, really.”

Sure enough, it really didn’t take Kris too long to start picking it up. Soon he was following and keeping up with ‘A’s’ steps, and then, they were moving together, in sync. Kris smiled when he felt that he was really getting it. Finally feeling confidant in his footwork, he lifted his head with a triumphant grin to look up at ‘A’. He’d had his eyes downcast the entire time, so he was surprised when he lifted his head to see how close ‘A’s’ face was to his own. ‘A’s’ mask could only have been a few inches away. Kris spent a few futile seconds searching the dark eyes of the mask, looking back and forth between them and trying in vain to tell whether ‘A’ was looking right back into his eyes. It was utterly strange, having only the mask to look at, while he knew that ‘A’ could see his own face perfectly clearly at this close distance. The thought made Kris’ cheeks tint a light red shade, and his heart quicken with a strange, vulnerable thrill. 

As if there was no mask separating them, Kris’ eyes skirted down towards where ‘A’s’ mouth would be. All he could see was the red grin of the mask. Kris felt transfixed in that moment, so drawn to the other man,…yet the mask made Kris pause, holding him back from the closeness and intimacy his body was suddenly yearning for.

The song faded, and the moment that had enclosed the two of them receded.

“Thank you, Kris,” ‘A’ said softly, gently. He cleared his throat, let go of Kris, and took half a step away from him. “Your dancing was sublime.”

Kris snorted, “Yeah right,” and did his best not to give into his odd, automatic sense of loss when ‘A’ moved away from him. 

“So,…you’re not angry about this morning?” Kris asked, a hint of nervousness creeping back into his voice now that ‘A’s’ proximity was gone and Kris was once again thinking about what had been bothering him all day.

“What’s done is done. Being angry about it won’t change what you saw.”

Kris fiddled with his fingers for a moment, looking down at the floor. He wanted to say something, but just wasn’t quite sure how to word it. He finally just made his best attempt, “They weren’t so terrible…what I saw. I didn’t think they were terrible at all, really.”

“Well…thank you, I suppose,” ‘A’ said hurriedly, and then moved quickly past Kris and back into the living room. It seemed this was a topic he really didn’t want to discuss. Neither of them brought it up anymore.

Later that night, as Kris lay in bed, he found himself thinking back to that moment when they were dancing together. He found himself imagining the eyes that had been looking at him through the mask. He tried to imagine the set of lips behind the mask, that had only been inches away from his own.

 

When Kris got up the next morning, ‘A’ was nowhere to be found. At first Kris got anxious, thinking ‘A’ was still avoiding him because of the previous morning. Then he remembered ‘A’ telling him he wasn’t angry, and Kris calmed down and told himself ‘A’ had probably just needed to go out early. So Kris briefly returned to the bedroom and ran his fingers over the spines of all the countless books lining the shelves until he picked out one that sparked his interest. By this time, Kris had finished the four books ‘A’ had recommended. Kris had absolutely loved each one.

Hours passed, and Kris almost finished his book in one sitting, curled up on the living room couch. He was just nearing the end of his book when he heard a strange commotion coming from the hallway. Kris lowered the book and sat up. A moment later, ‘A’ stumbled through the doorway. His usual black costume look disheveled, and Kris could hear his heavy breathing all the way from the couch. His cloak was tangled around his feet and his hat was pulled to an uneven angle.

“Are you alright?” Kris asked immediately, sitting up anxiously. He was used to ‘A’ always moving about easily and silently, so the sight of him leaned over against the doorway and struggling for breath unnerved Kris.

“Those damn police,” ‘A’ muttered, resting his head for a moment against his arms braced against the doorway. “They almost got me today. They’ve never been that close. I was too inattentive…”

Kris came over towards him. “But you’re okay? You got away alright…”

“Yes, I’m fine,” ‘A’ said quickly, slowly straightening up and lifting a hand to his wig to smooth it back down. “I’ve never had to kill that many police before…it must have been dozens.”

Kris was quiet for a moment, not knowing what to say. He finally ventured to ask, “What…what were you doing? How did they catch you?”

“I was surveying the area where I know the prime minister’s residence to be. I’ve been narrowing down its location. I must have gotten close today, because the amount of guards on the streets tripled. They were better trained, too. They spotted me on the rooftops, where other guards never have, and these knew how to give a good chase, that’s for sure.”

“Why don’t you sit down? Catch your breath and make sure you’re not injured…”

“No, no, I have to check the news, see what they’re saying about this incident. The fight wasn’t quiet or low-key. Many citizens must have seen it.” ‘A’ pushed past Kris and scrambled to turn on the TV to the news station. A breaking news story was being reported on.

“This afternoon, authorities engaged with the masked terrorist known only as ‘A’. The surviving police officers who fought him believe he was attempting yet another act of violent destruction. With twenty police officers dead, it seems violence is what he got after all. When reinforcements arrived, he fled and narrowly escaped capture. This event has made ‘A’s’ dangerous nature even more clear. He is a murderer, a criminal, and the number one enemy of the state. In recognition and response to this fact, the prime minister has decided that a new method should be implemented to increase efforts to capture this terrorist. 

“Beginning today, our police will be taking on a more active search for ‘A’ by regularly conducting searches of the city. They will be seeking not only the terrorist himself, but also any clues as to his whereabouts. Anyone found to have any connection or information regarding ‘A’ will be taken in to aid the search. Any supporters will be taken into custody in order to stop the spread of ‘A’s’ influence and keep him from receiving any aid. We urge all people to be especially wary of this dangerous figure, and to aid these increased police efforts. His attacks against our government constitute actions against all its citizens. The sooner this evil figure is captured, the sooner our streets will be safe again.”

‘A’ had sunk down onto the sofa as the news report came to an end. “No, no, no, no, no…” he was chanting under his breath, leaning his head forward in his hands. Kris muted the television, now standing before the sofa and watching A worriedly, not sure what to do.

“No! Dammit!” ‘A’ suddenly shouted, leaping to his feet. Kris jumped. “They’re supposed to be coming after me alone! There are two rallies planned for tonight, and every single person who shows up is going to be hunted down and made examples of! The people in those rallies are so headstrong and dismissive towards the government, they won’t give heed to these broadcasts. For once I wish I had a way to communicate with the leaders of those rallies!”

“You don’t?” Kris asked softly, frightened not by ‘A’s’ outburst, but by the seriousness his anger gave to what the government had just announced.

“No, I have nothing to do with them. Yes, I need the support of the people, but I’ve never encouraged these groups who meet after curfew and practically provoke the police. It was never my intention to place people in such danger, but I can’t defend them because I can’t risk exposing myself anymore than is strictly necessary in my plans as the police get more and more desperate to catch me with each passing day. Besides, what good would I be against a whole police army?” He was angrily pacing back and forth in the room now, wringing his hands together. “I’m not worried for my own life, I just know that if they manage to do away wit me, after what I’ve done their hold over the city will become even more iron-clad and their reign so much more oppressive, they’ll never give anyone the chance to take my place, and the people of this city will live their lives as slaves!” 

By the end, his voice had risen to a desperate, helpless shout. Frustrated, he tore his wig from his head and collapsed on the couch again, holding his head in his hands.

Kris had stood silently while he listened to ‘A’s’ helpless anger at what the government was doing and the corner they had backed him into. There would most likely be casualties as a result of the police crackdown, but ‘A’ was working towards a larger goal, and trying to save these groups of his supports now could jeopardize everything he had worked for…

“You’re right,” Kris finally said, after swallowing hard and finally getting his voice to work. “You never asked or encouraged those rallies, and you can’t go risking yourself every time one of them happens. You’re too important to this city. In the long run, if you succeed in bringing down the government, you’ll be saving everyone in this city, rather than just a few people.” Kris timidly, slowly came over towards the couch, where ‘A’ was still slumped, with his head in his hands. Kris sank down onto the couch beside him. 

He thought carefully about exactly what it was he wanted to say, exactly what it was that was there at the forefront of his mind right now, worrying him. “And…you’re not keeping from getting involved just for yourself…but for me too. I-I want you to stay here where it’s safe. If there’ll be that many police out tonight, please stay here.”

‘A’ was silent for a minute, not moving from his slumped position. Then finally, slowly, he lifted his head up and leaned back into the sofa.

“I have no choice. I can’t risk going out tonight.” He finally gave in, though it was obvious to Kris just by the slump of his shoulders, it hurt everything in him.

 

They tried to have as normal an evening as possible. They cooked dinner and then ate together, thanks to Kris’ new seating arrangement, though they didn’t converse. They both knew what was beginning to happen up on ground level, they both knew the police were beginning to march the streets. Afterwards, they moved to the living room, where ‘A’ quickly put on the TV to a station that was resolutely not the news. Kris was feeling too anxious to attempt reading.

“You’re sure this place is safe? You’re sure they won’t find it?”

“I can’t imagine how they would, although one can never be completely sure of anything. This is without a doubt the safest place in the city though, Kris.”

Kris pulled his legs up onto the sofa and curled his arms around them, pulling himself into a ball. He looked to the TV, but his anxiety kept him from really taking in anything he was seeing. He hugged his knees tighter and lowered his chin down to rest atop them.

“What would you do if they caught you?”

“I haven’t thought of it,” ‘A’ answered, seeing far too at ease with the topic Kris had asked about. “I don’t plan on ever having to think on it.”

“Would they kill you?” Kris asked in a whisper, just loud enough to be heard over the television.

“Most likely.”

“Would they kill me?”

“No. You’re not the one who blew up any buildings or fought any police. They would just try their damnedest to get information out of you.”

Somehow, ‘A’ words didn’t put Kris at ease at all.

Eventually, Kris calmed down enough to lie down and rest his head against the sofa armrest. In his head, he kept repeating to himself what ‘A’ had said about this being the safest place in the city. Maybe everything would be alright. He and ‘A’ would just stay here through the night, and in the morning they would turn on the news and see that no one had been captured or killed through the police searches because the citizens on the streets above them were being more careful. Kris could just go to sleep like normal, and everything would be fine… 

He’d only had his eyes closed for a matter of seconds when he heard the first boom. Kris cracked his eyes open, then scrambled sit up when he heard a second. ‘A’ jumped to his feet, but didn’t move. Then there was another massive crash, coming from the distance on the ground level but reverberating all throughout the walls and floor of the underground apartment.

“W-what…what is that?!” Kris asked fearfully. ‘A’ stayed silent until the echoing sound of another explosion boomed. 

“They’re…..bombs. Those utter bastards,” ‘A’ murmured furiously. “The square where the rallies are usually held is in the direction the explosions are coming from…”

As if on cue, another distant explosion resounded.

“God…..” Kris breathed, horrified. He curled himself into a tight ball on the couch again, as if doing so would protect him from the terror of those bone-rattling sounds.

‘A’ balled his hands into fists. “They’re not even rounding people up or taking them into custody. They’re just…just slaughtering them. Like rats. Like insects.” With a furious cry, he kicked the small table in front of the sofa, sending it flipping over. Kris started, startled from where he was sitting on the couch. Another bomb echoed and Kris shuddered. He couldn’t help but let out a tiny whimper. Futile as the action was, he pressed his hands against the sides of his head.

‘A’ caught sight of where Kris was huddled on the couch. He balled his hands into tight fists and swallowed hard, doing his best to stopper down his anger. 

“Kris, it’s okay…We’re alright,” he said, doing his best to make his voice even and soothing for Kris. He leaned down to right the table he’d kicked over. 

Kris slowly lowered his hands, but squeezed his eyes shut when the next bomb sounded and this time, everything around them shook. A rumbling traveled through the walls and the floor, and the furniture trembled. Kris looked around fearfully, his eyes blown wide and heart pounding.

“It’s just the shock traveling through the ground. It’s alright, Kris. We’re miles underground. This place is the closest thing to a bomb shelter there is.”

And just as ‘A’s’ words entered the air, the lights flickered and blinked out. 

Kris’ loud breathing, shaky and quickened with fear, filled the room. “I can’t…I can’t see anything,” he barely managed to say, his voice almost a whimper over another resounding boom above ground. “ ‘A?’,” he whispered fearfully through the pitch black, “W-where are you?”

“Here, Kris. Everything’s going to be fine.” Relief burst through Kris just at the sound of his voice. Reflexively, Kris stood up and reached out in the direction ‘A’s’ voice had come from, needing assurance that he wasn’t alone in the dark. “Hold on one second, Kris. I need to get something. I’ll be right back.” Kris heard ‘A’s’ footsteps moving about the room, and then the sound of him rustling through a drawer. The room around them rumbled as another bomb sounded. Kris struggled to control his breathing, dangerously close to light headedness. 

‘A’ closed the drawer and came back over towards where Kris was standing. He fiddled in the dark with what he was holding in his hands. A few seconds later, a match flared to life in his hand. He carefully lit the thick candle he was holding in his other hand. He took a few steps closer, bringing Kris into more light. The soft candle glow dimly illuminated almost the whole room. Kris saw ‘A’s’ face come into view again, the dancing candle light making shadows flicker across his pale mask. ‘A’ set the candle down on the table.

“Are you alright?”

Kris swallowed hard and nodded slightly. Another crash sounded, almost like the rumble of a distant thunderclap, but they both knew in reality, the sound was so much more terrible. 

“I know you’re frightened, but from here, it’s just noise,” ‘A’ said, attempting to calm Kris as he could easily see how visibly scared he was. 

Another terrible boom thundered, and Kris threw his hands over his ears again, trembling in the near-dark. Then before either of them really realized what he was doing, Kris pitched forward and pressed himself against ‘A’s’ broad chest. Kris was shaking, his eyes shut tight and hands still clutching his ears. 

Beneath the mask, ‘A’ just looked shocked for a moment, standing still as Kris huddled fearfully against him. He could feel how Kris was trembling, and how he would wince and shrink in on himself each time a crashing bomb sounded. It was a truly terrible and terrifying sound. Somewhat awkwardly, ‘A’ reached up a hand to pat the back of Kris’ shoulder and he told him again that things were going to be okay. Kris didn’t stop shaking. 

‘A’ looked back and forth around the room, not sure what to do to comfort Kris and assure him he was safe. Seconds slid by in the flickering candle light, and gradually ‘A’ became more aware of the feeling of Kris’ form pressed against him – his smaller, trembling body huddling close and seeking comfort and safety. He tilted his head down to look at Kris, seeing how he pressed his face against the fabric of ‘A’s’ dark shirt. ‘A’ took in the raw fright written plainly on Kris’ face, the way his body huddled smaller, trying to escape the horrific soundtrack of the bombing. A new kind of hatred for the government pulsed through ‘A’, then gave way to something else. Something warmer, softer. Then he knew exactly how to comfort Kris.

Moving carefully, slowly, ‘A’s’ hands slid along Kris’ shoulders until his arms were wrapped around him, holding Kris close in the shelter of his arms. When Kris whimpered from the next wave of tremors, ‘A’ murmured gently to him, over and over.

“You’re safe. You’re safe, I promise. It’s alright, Kris, you’re alright. I would never…never let anything happen to you.” 

Kris stopped covering his ears, his hands moving instead to hold onto ‘A’s’ shirt. ‘A’ held him tighter. 

The candle melted down. Kris’ fear slowly began to abate little by little into ‘A’s’ shielding arms. But what seemed like ages later, the floor still shook with the sound of the far-off blasts, traveling through the earth between their hideaway and the street. Kris’ legs were starting to tire from standing for so long. Kris lifted his head a little, and ‘A’s’ arms loosened.

“Why don’t you try to go to bed?” ‘A’ tried to suggest.

Biting his lip and looking up into ‘A’s’ mask with his own eyes still very much swimming with fear, Kris softly asked, “Will you come with me? I-I don’t want to be in the bedroom alone.”

‘A’ spent a moment looking into Kris’ face before he replied, “Alright.” 

‘A’ picked up and carried the candle with one hand, his other arm around Kris as they made their way to the bedroom. Kris kept holding onto him along the way. 

As Kris got into the bed, ‘A’ carefully set the candle down on the bedside table and made sure any nearby books were moved. As Kris pulled the blankets up and tried to settle in, ‘A’ sat down on the edge of the bed and took off his boots. Once they were off, ‘A’ turned to look at Kris.

“Are you okay? Feeling better?”

Kris nodded a little from where his head was nestled in a pillow. Kris held one hand out towards ‘A’, his fingers open and expectant. ‘A’ took Kris’ hand, his gloved fingers sliding between Kris’ bare ones and holding on tightly. Kris gave a soft tug, wanting to hold ‘A’s’ hand closer. ‘A’ swung his feet up onto the bed and laid down facing Kris. He was on the edge of the bed, Kris on the other side, with their entwined hands clutched and resting between them. 

As the room around them trembled and shook with distant destruction, their entwined hands squeezed tighter. Kris pulled the blankets up a little higher with his free hand, and finally closed his eyes.

 

It was blessedly silent again when Kris awoke in the morning. He opened his eyes and cautiously looked around. The lights were back on, thankfully, but what made Kris even more glad was that ‘A’ was still there, seated on the edge of the bed. He was leaning forward, his elbows propped on his knees. Kris slowly sat up, and ‘A’ turned towards him when he heard Kris shifting.

“When did it stop?” Kris asked softly.

“Shortly after you fell asleep.”

Kris hooked his arms around his knees, the blankets still draped over him. He felt that the air between them was slightly changed, after how they’d endured the previous night together. 

“And you didn’t have to go out early this morning? To see what happened last night?”

‘A’ looked away again, focusing on where he was anxiously clasping and twisting his hands in his lap. Kris heard him take a deep breath. “To be painfully honest, I’m…afraid. I’m afraid to see the damage. It sounded so terrible and ruthless…”

Kris swallowed, both unnerved and honored by the raw timidity bared in ‘A’s’ voice. Kris slowly reached out to touch his shoulder, but just then ‘A’ quickly stood up. “I’ve already put it off longer than I should. Sorry Kris, I know you were shaken up last night, but I’m going to have to leave you for a time.”

“No, it’s fine. I understand. I’m feeling a lot better now. Thank you, … for looking after me last night. I really fell apart, didn’t I?”

“Completely understandably. I was a bit frightened too, you know, and glad for company.”

Kris smiled a little, “You? Frightened?”

“It happens more often than you may think.” ‘A’ was pulling his boots back on, and then leaned down to lace them up. He stood up and looked back towards Kris. “I am only human, you know.”

Kris was sure he heard the smile in ‘A’s’ voice, visible only under his mask. Naturally, Kris returned it. 

“I can’t say when I’ll be back. It depends how bad things are.” Kris’ easy smile shrunk a bit when he was reminded of what had happened the night before. 

“You don’t want to eat breakfast before you go?”

“I ate earlier, while you were sleeping. And I really must go, I’ve dallied long enough. Goodbye, Kris,” and he was already slipping out the door.

“Goodbye…” Kris’ voice died off, his tongue reaching uselessly for the other man’s real name, and everything else in him already feeling his departure.

 

Later, Kris turned on the news. He knew the news was twisted to whatever angle the government desired, but he still needed to know what was going on above ground. There was a picture of the square where the rallies usually took place, and the asphalt road and cement sidewalk were completely catered and scattered with rubble. Kris covered his mouth with one hand.

“Last night, police came across a huge demonstration in favor of the terrorist known as ‘A’. This demonstration quickly became a riot of the most violent nature. These rioters were armed and dangerous, and attacked the police forces. Because of their terribly large numbers, the only option to reign in and stop their violence from spreading was a bombing. The newly instated regular police searches will now be relaxed, as the most dangerous of ‘A’s’ supporters have been stopped. Now I believe we can all rest easily and feel safer, knowing these terrorist supporters are no longer a threat, and feel reassured that our government is one hundred percent committed to our safety.”

“They’re backing off their offensive, and the police are going to play nice for now. They know they have to gain the people’s faith again. They know they went too far.” Kris jumped in surprise. When he looked around, ‘A’ was standing behind the sofa. As usual, Kris hadn’t heard him come in.

“How bad was it?” Kris couldn’t help but ask, even though he was afraid of the answer.

“Morbid. I couldn’t even find an official death toll, there were too many. Almost everyone in those two combined rallies…”

“God,” Kris breathed, closing his eyes and feeling cold all over.

“This is the best immediate strike back I could manage.” ‘A’ shrugged off his cloak and came to sit down on the couch. Kris saw him look in the direction of the clock on the wall – the single clock in the whole place. “In about…three minutes.”

“What? What’s going to happen?”

‘A’ nodded towards the television. “Just keep watching the news. Like everyone else in the city is doing; while they’re huddled in their homes, feeling just as terrified as you did last night, and much more confused.”

Kris looked back to the television screen, where the news broadcast seemed to be continuing as normal. A few minutes later, the sound suddenly cut out. Then the picture fell into static. A few seconds later the screen went dark, seeming like the TV was broken, but then a few lines of white text emerged, but each time the letter ‘a’ appeared, it was capitalized and shaded in red.

‘Do you really believe they killed hundreds in order to keep you safe? Bombs do not destroy the truth.’

Kris realized immediately the brilliance in ‘A’s’ move. He was reminding the people that he was still here and still alive. And while they were feeling unsure and threatened by the government’s actions, ‘A’ offered them an alternative and proof that the government’s hold was not full proof. They still hadn’t caught him.

When the screen cut back to the scrambling news people, screaming and attempting everything they could to regain control of the broadcast, ‘A’ normally would have laughed, but today, the staggering death toll hung heavy over ‘A’ – both reminding him exactly why he fought, and also sapping him of his strength and drive by the sheer tragedy. 

‘A’ lifted the remote to turn the TV off, and he and Kris sat in silence.

“I still can’t believe the government would really do that. Something so merciless…” Kris didn’t know what else to say, what else to feel.

“When there’s any possible threat of dissent, they put a stop to it by whatever method is the quickest. It’s because of the prime minister, really. He’s the one pulling the strings, who wouldn’t hesitate to order that bombing. God, I have to figure out how to get to him…”

Kris’ attention was usually completely absorbed and attuned to ‘A’s’ presence whenever he was near, but now Kris found it difficult to focus on much of anything, with the knowledge of so much death beating around inside his head. 

“If it’s alright, I think I’m going to just try to go to bed. I can’t bear thinking about this anymore.”

“That sounds like a good idea. You don’t want to eat anything first?”

“No, no I’m fine, thanks,” Kris sad absently, moving towards the door.

Laying in bed, Kris stared at the ceiling for a long, long time. Although it wasn’t the first time, but the first time in a while, Kris wished for the plain white ceiling of his own apartment – where nothing exciting or terrible happened, where there was just normal life.

 

Kris didn’t move for a while after he woke up. He didn’t want to. He’d dreamed about his old, normal life again. He’d dreamed he, Cale, and Charles were sitting around in his living room deep into the night, sharing a few beers over laughter and conversation, as they often used to. Kris hadn’t realized before exactly how much he missed them. They were the closest thing to family he had. His life hadn’t been particularly glamorous or charming, but he missed his home and his friends, the constants that had been there for him almost as long as he could remember.

He finally got up when his stomach started growling, loudly demanding food. When he reached the kitchen, he found ‘A’ already washing the dishes from breakfast. Kris saw a plate of food still out on the table for him. ‘A’ had made pancakes – Kris’ favorite. It brought him at least a little comfort. 

“Morning,” Kris grumbled, fetching utensils before he sat down to munch on his pancakes.

“Good morning,” ‘A’ responded easily. Kris hadn’t noticed, but ‘A’ had removed his gloves so he could wash the dishes in the sink. He quickly dried his scarred hands before sliding them back into the usual black leather gloves. Then he turned and came over towards the table.

“Listen, Kris. I was planning on going out today to check out some of the damage from the bombing, on sites around the square. Almost all the bombs were centered on the square, but several buildings in the surrounding area were damaged as well. Specifically, I was going to make sure your building was undamaged. You live only a few blocks away…”

Kris stopped chewing. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought about the possibility before – that the home he’d been so sick for lately might be ruined.

“I want to come with you,” Kris said immediately, looking up and the tone of his voice desperate, “I have to see for myself.”

“That’s…what I wanted to ask, actually,” ‘A’ said, his hands curling around the back of the chair opposite from Kris. “The government’s loosening up since the bombing. They’re dropping enforcement of a lot of their recent mandates. Any leads they thought they had on me, like you, they seem to have let go of. I haven’t seen your face or heard anything about you on the news since the bombing.”

“So, it should be okay for me to go out?” Kris asked, his head not quite wrapping all the way around what ‘A’ was saying, how this might mean he could leave and return to his life…

“Yes, it should be fine. Although, just to be safe; I would like you to wear a mask when we first reach the surface. Just until we’re sure.”

“Okay, that sounds fair.”

‘A’ nodded, “Finish up and get dressed. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.” ‘A’ spun and left the room while Kris hurriedly wolfed down the rest of his breakfast.

Outside! Kris was finally going to get to go outside! It had been weeks, he was starting to lose track of how long he had spent in this underground grotto. He rushed back to the bedroom to dress. As soon as he’d pulled his shoes and jacket on, he moved to leave the room right away. But the sight of the small pile of books on the bedside table gave him pause. It was the four classics ‘A’ had recommended, with the book Kris had currently been reading on top. Kris ran his fingers down the five book spines. Kris couldn’t say he hadn’t enjoyed his time here (once he had accepted that he had to stay) or failed to appreciate the opportunities he’d had, especially with ‘A’s’ library. But the lure of the outside world called to him. Real daylight, the sight of his apartment again… Kris closed the door on his way out.

‘A’ met him in the hallway. He was dressed in his usual costume, and holding one of his spare masks in his hands. 

“Here,” he said, holding the mask out to Kris. “Just until we’re sure you’re safe. I removed the blockers over the eyes, as the mesh is rather hard to get used to.”

Kris carefully took the mask. He couldn’t help for a moment but look back and forth between the mask in his hands and the mask covering ‘A’s’ face. They were identical; ‘A’ probably had several of them. It was just so inexplicably odd to be holding one in his own hands – the pale white and grinning face that, for lack of the real thing, was ‘A’s’ face. It got only a dozen times stranger when Kris put the mask on himself, but he tried his best to stop thinking about it. The mask he was wearing was just a tiny bit different from ‘A’s’. With the mesh eye coverings gone there were two open eye holes for Kris to see through. 

“I know this may seem silly, and please don’t hold it against me for a lack of trust, but would you please keep your eyes closed while we’re leaving? I’ve managed to keep the entrance and location secret so far.”

“Oh, yeah…that’s fine.” Kris closed his eyes and held his arm out for ‘A’ to lead him. He trusted ‘A’, and also didn’t want to make trouble with this chance to finally get out into the daylight again.

One of ‘A’s’ gloved hands took Kris’ wrist. Like he had said he would, Kris kept his eyes closed. ‘A’ guided him for a few long minutes, instructing him to step here or lift his foot there. He helped Kris up several steep staircases and ladders. They seemed to move through different places, some lit and some dark, and the way to the surface seemed extremely difficult. Kris doubted he would have been able to ever repeat the route himself even if he’d had his eyes open.

Then, Kris finally felt a gust of what was unmistakably wind. He immediately grinned, knowing he was outside. ‘A’ kept guiding him for a few minutes longer before he finally let go and told Kris, “Alright, you can open your eyes now. Thank you, Kris.”

When he did so, Kris found himself standing on a rooftop, looking down several stories to the street below. He gasped in surprise and grappled for ‘A’s’ arm again. 

“Don’t worry. These rooftops are the way I get around. I know they’re safe and sturdy,” ‘A’ assured him.

“…Right,” Kris said, feeling a little silly and letting go of ‘A’s’ arm. Kris looked around, smiling wide again. The sun shining over the buildings of the city had never before been such a beautiful, breathtaking sight. 

“It’s not far to your apartment from here. Just follow me, alright?” Kris nodded.

Sticking close behind ‘A’, Kris followed him over the rooftops and across what seemed a maze of fire escapes, alleys, and staircases. Kris had lived in this city his whole life, yet somehow he quickly lost track of where they were and what direction they were heading in. In these high, hidden secret passages, they didn’t run into or see a single other person, and no one from the ground could see them. ‘A’ was able to move through the city undetected thanks to these. He seemed to have a perfect understanding of how they all connected and how to move between them undetected – from an aged, half rotted concrete walkway between two buildings, through a window that led to an abandoned greenhouse spanning the length of a whole building, then across a roof helicopter landing strip. 

Finally, they crossed onto the roof of a building Kris recognized. It was his apartment building. ‘A’ led them down the fire escape until they could climb onto the little balcony of Kris’ apartment. Kris pulled off his mask and ‘A’ crouched down out of sight, so they wouldn’t look suspicious. Kris opened the door and finally stepped back into his apartment for the first time in a long month.

Kris thoughtlessly dropped the mask on a table as he excitedly rushed all the way into his apartment. Being back felt even better than he had imagined. With ‘A’ safely inside all the way, they started looking through all the rooms to make sure everything appeared in order. Kris popped into every room to put his mind at rest that everything was as he expected and as he had left it. Kris could find nothing wrong, and with each room he checked and found the same, his smile grew. Everything seemed to be okay.

When Kris got back to the living room where they’d come in, he saw ‘A’ standing before the front door, holding the doormat. 

“What are you doing?” Kris asked.

“Checking who’s been here lately. Shoes leave an imprint on mats like this.” He inspected the mat for a few seconds, turning it over in his hands, before setting it back down. “The only imprint I can see is at least two weeks old. I think you’re fine, Kris. The police haven’t had much interest in you lately, lucky for you.”

“And everything looks totally fine,” Kris said with a grin he couldn’t help. “Everything seems to be just as it was.”

“Your building doesn’t seem to have sustained any damage from the bombing, lucky for you again.”

Kris looked around his living room with a smile, looking into the kitchen where he always cooked and ate, looking at his big sofa where he and his friends often sat around – just like he had remembered in his dream the previous night. Everything seemed so close, so tangible and accessible, like if it was this easy to step into his apartment and find everything the same, it would be just as easy to slip back into his old normal life where nothing dangerous happened, where he was just a normal guy. A normal guy never wanted by the government. 

He looked back towards ‘A’, who had moved to stand closer to the balcony where they’d come in. Seeing ‘A’ standing in the middle of his living room was one of the strangest sights Kris had ever seen, with the screaming contrast between him and the apartment around him. 

“So…can I stay?” Kris asked, almost timidly, yet his voice laced with excitement, “It would be okay for me to come back?”

‘A’ was silent for a beat, watching Kris, before replying, “You shouldn’t be going back to your government job any time soon, and for a while definitely avoid places where you might run into police, but yes, I think it would be alright for you to come back. The government seems to have realized their supposed leads on me were useless. You should be fine here.”

Kris watched ‘A’ reach under his cloak and produce a small sack. Kris recognized it as the bag ‘A’ had brought Kris his things in, when ‘A’ had come to his apartment to pick up some of his belongings for him. 

“I took the liberty of packing these up for you again this morning,” ‘A’ said, holding the bag out to Kris.

“Thank you,” Kris murmured as he took the bag, once again caught off guard by the way ‘A’ always seemed to think of everything when it came to Kris. ‘A’s’ gloved fingers brushed Kris’, lingering for only a split second as Kris took the bag.

Kris turned to look around his living room again, his broad grin quickly returning. “I just want things to be normal and safe again. I want to see my friends, and sleep in my own bed, and cook in my kitchen…I’ve lived here for a long time. It’s no place terribly special, but it’s definitely my home and I have to admit I missed it.” Still smiling from the fact that he was getting to come back, Kris turned back in the direction ‘A’ had been standing.

The room was empty save for himself. The door to the balcony was open, and he was alone. ‘A’ had silently left while Kris had been talking. At first Kris felt a little foolish, then regretful that he’d been thinking of nothing but his apartment and the possibility of returning ever since ‘A’ had mentioned coming here this morning. Kris should have made a point to thank ‘A’ for everything he had done for him, he should have been thanking him endlessly.... 

Kris went out on the balcony, looking around and wishing he could call him back, so Kris could have the chance to say goodbye. But of course, ‘A’ had already completely disappeared.

Kris went back inside and just stood there in the middle of the living room for a moment. It was still setting in that he was really home again, and if he was careful he could go back to his life like none of the unbelievable or horrifying things of the past weeks had happened at all. His smile returning, he rushed for the phone to call his friends.


	3. Chapter 3

“Kris, you’ve got to be kidding.”

Night was begging to fall, and only a few hours had passed since ‘A’ had silently disappeared through the balcony and left Kris.

Cale and Charles had come over as soon as they could after work. Charles had arrived first, and hugged Kris so tightly he went numb and couldn’t even feel Cale’s crushing hug when he arrived soon after. Now they were sitting around Kris’ living room, and Kris found himself in a bind.

“Seriously. You became wanted by the government, disappear for over a month, and all you gave us during that time was one cryptic phone call just so we wouldn’t lose our heads. Now out of nowhere you’re back. At least tell us what happened, Kris, you have to,” Cale implored for what must have been the fifth time.

Kris chewed his lip and fiddled with his hands in his lap. God, he wanted to tell them, tell them everything that had happened to him, but he wasn’t sure if he could or should. He knew he would feel just as incredulous if he was in their situation, but spilling everything to them just didn’t seem like the wisest thing to do…

“It’s just… The more you know, the more danger you’re in.” For some reason, Kris wasn’t even much surprised to hear himself repeating the same words he remembered ‘A’ tell him once – about why it would be best for all of them if Kris only told his friends what was strictly necessary.

“Oh, so you are in trouble,” Charles said, “You have no choice about it anymore, Kris. You’ve got to tell us. You should know we can keep a secret.”

Things must be different, Kris thought, now that he was back home and didn’t need to stay with ‘A’ anymore. If Kris wasn’t hiding out in ‘A’s’ secret lair anymore and the government had given up in their search for him, what did it matter if Kris told them the few things he knew about where he’d been for the past weeks? It wasn’t as if Kris could actually reveal its location or anything else truly dangerous.

“You’re probably not going to believe me.” Kris looked up from his hands to give his friends a cautious, appraising look.

“Try us,” Charles challenged right away. “We’ve been freaking out all the time you were gone, wondering what happened to you. We deserve to know.” Cale was nodding fiercely in agreement. Kris looked between them once more, then, took a deep breath.

“Do you guys remember the incident in the Banking building? I had just been transferred to work there when ‘A’ attacked the building.”

“Of course we do. We were worried that you’d managed to get yourself into trouble again, and it was after that when you disappeared.”

“Well, that’s when it all started. I was in the building when ‘A’ broke in. The building had been swarming with police the whole day in anticipation of ‘A’s’ attack, since he’d announced it beforehand. When they discovered he was inside, the police rounded up all the civilians on each floor into one group. So I was huddled in the group with all the other people who’d been working there. 

“Then, the police figured out ‘A’ was trying to escape the building in disguise as a policeman, so all the police on my floor were ordered to take off their helmets. Sure enough, one of them right in front of me was ‘A’, and a fight broke out right away between him and the police. I ran behind a desk for cover and watched what was happening. Despite being so outnumbered, it was almost too easy how ‘A’ took them all down. From gun or knife wounds, they all fell until there were just three left. I was still watching, and while ‘A’ was fighting two of them, I saw the third one trying to go behind him and shoot him in the back.

“Then,…I’m still not quite sure what happened to me, but I involuntarily just freaked out when I saw that. Without thinking, just acting on instinct really, I jumped out and shouted for ‘A’ to turn around. After I yelled to him, one of the police shot me in the arm, thinking I was an accomplice or something. By the time I collapsed, ‘A’ had already killed the three police who were left. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was ‘A’ turning to look at me.

“ ‘A’ wound up taking me out of the building with him while I was unconscious, and brought me back to this underground hideout where he lives. At first I didn’t understand why I had to stay there, but then I saw my face on the news, along with a ‘wanted’ ad. The government was desperate for any possible leads on ‘A’, and after security cameras saw what I did in the Banking building, I was the best lead they could get.”

“So you were with ‘A’ this whole time? In his hideout?” Cale asked, he and Charles both looked rather stunned.

Kris nodded. “If he hadn’t taken me with him, who knows what would have happened to me in the hands of the government if they thought I knew something about ‘A’.”

Charles visibly shuddered. “I don’t want to think about it.” Then after a moment of pause while they all took in what Kris had said, Charles asked, “How did you know it was safe for you to come back now?”

“After the disaster with the bombing, the government wants to make sure they still have the peoples’ favor, so they’re stepping down from their offensive strategies to capture ‘A’. That means no more nightly raids or searches for ‘A’s’ supporters, and no more going after half-ass leads like me. Still, I’m going to be careful.”

“So no going back to work, that’s for sure,” Charles started saying, thinking out loud, “You’re in the government’s employment system, though. You don’t think they’re going to come put you in a new job? If they find out you’re back home and put you in a new job, I can’t imagine they wouldn’t take the opportunity to at least question you.”

“That’s why I’m going to be careful, and for as long as I can, avoid their knowing I’m back here.”

There was silence for a few moments before Cale spoke up with a hitch in his voice, “Fuck, I’m so glad you’re back though, Kris. We just had no idea what happened to you. We thought maybe the government had grabbed you and were keeping you holed up somewhere. We were just…we were kind of losing our minds for a while.”

“You were safe this whole time,” Charles said, with a smile that said some sentiment like ‘we should have known’. “You were hiding out with the most wanted rebel in the city.”

Kris couldn’t help but grin and say, “I guess it’s pretty badass, right?”

“You little shit. C’mere, we need to hug you again.”

 

Through Cale and Charles almost constant company and the excitement of being home again, Kris didn’t think much about ‘A’ until he made a move two days later.

Kris had slept in since he’d stayed up late with Cale and Charles the previous night. Kris switched on the television while he shuffled sleepily into the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. From the kitchen, he could hear the voices of reporters on the news. Kris had just put his toast down when he heard the voices disappear into static. A few seconds later, another voice started to speak from the TV – one that Kris would recognize anywhere. He left his toast to burn and rushed back to the television.

‘A’s’ masked face was on the TV screen, and he was in the middle of speaking.

“They’ve told you they did it for your safety. They’ve told you they did it to keep peace. Peace bred through submission and fear, as they remind you that at any moment they could send death raining down on all our heads. This isn’t keeping peace; it’s an abusive, tyrannical government desperately clinging to power. However, with this unforgiveable transgression against humanity in which hundreds of lives were lost, they have undermined their own hold on power and brought their reign nearer to its end. 

“My brothers and sisters, I walked through the square and I saw the bodies myself. The horror is fresh in my mind and leaves me more driven than ever. They think us powerless, helpless, and that they can control us through fear. Instead, we will show them what they have done has empowered and enflamed us. Our prime minister will come to regret his sickening disregard for human life. 

“348 was the death toll. 348 voices were silenced because they had the courage to speak out against the government that oppressed them. That oppressive government tried to erase all sign of their courageous acts, and deem them as nothing but sedition. However, I cannot bear to see that happen. My friends, take a moment out of your day today to go to the square where 348 of your families, neighbors, and friends’ lives were taken from them. Take a moment to go and pay your respects; but even in the wake of this tragedy; do not feel fear or helplessness. The greatest power you have, and that which our government most fears is the power of your minds. Do not let it give into hopelessness or be silenced. Keep your mind strong and enflamed, and they will never have power over you. Keep your mind strong with the knowledge that each of us deserves to be free.”

Static took over the screen again. Kris reached forward to turn off the TV before the normal news broadcast could resume. He didn’t want to hear it.

He curled up on the floor, leaning his back against the side of his bed and letting all of ‘A’s’ words echo in his head. He had asked the people to go see the square where the bombing had occurred, which made Kris think ‘A’ must have done some act of retribution there. Kris wanted nothing more than to throw his shoes on and run to the square to see what ‘A’ had done, but he knew he couldn’t. Police would probably be there soon after ‘A’s’ broadcast, and Kris knew he had to stay hidden for as long as he could.

Kris wondered if he could have asked ‘A’ about this plan – if he’d been planning it ever since the bombing happened. When Kris thought of the bombing, his thoughts went off track. Beyond the huge, terrifying booming sounds, Kris’ mind could only really replay the feeling of ‘A’ strong arms wrapped close around him, his gentle voice whispering in Kris’ ear, and then his hand there in Kris’, big and reassuring as Kris fell asleep. 

For a moment, as the memories and sensations rolled through his mind, he felt too small and alone. It felt jarring, wrong to be in this whole apartment by himself, with ‘A’ completely gone from him. He suddenly felt terribly vulnerable.

A moment later, he laughed at himself a little, closed his eyes and made himself take a deep breath. ‘ ‘A’ let me come back because he thought I’d be safe here,’ Kris reminded himself. ‘And besides,…that night, he promised he would never let anything bad happen to me. I don’t have to worry.’ No, Kris certainly hadn’t forgotten that either, when ‘A’ had pressed those assuring words to his ear.

What was it ‘A’ could have done in the square? What could he do to restore people’s hope after the terrible bombing? How could he keep the people from succumbing to fear and helplessness like the government wanted, and ‘A’ had warned them against? Kris went to look out from his balcony, but his building was just a little too far away from the square for Kris to be able to see anything going on there.

He came back inside from the balcony with a sigh and a subdued slump of his shoulders. He went to deal with his burnt toast in the kitchen, hoping his friends would be able to see the square and tell him what had transpired there. For now, he would just have to wait.

 

Cale and Charles came over in the evening, as was habit for the three of them.

“Did you go to the square??” was the first thing out of Kris’ mouth after he’d rushed to the door to let them in.

“We went to see as soon as we saw his broadcast this morning,” Charles said.

“What did you see? What did he do?” Kris demanded, half tripping over his words, “You know I couldn’t leave my apartment…” He’d been waiting all day to hear this.

Charles began, “Well, I have absolutely no idea how he did it in one night. Somehow he covered the entire square with flowers…with roses. Since the paving over the square got churned up from the bombing, he could plant the flowers in the dirt among the rubble. It was … amazing. There were hundreds of them. I imagine there were 348, one for every life in the death toll he talked about, and on the walls of the buildings around the square, he spray painted the names of all the people that were killed,” Charles paused, needing to take a deep breath. “It was terrible and terrifying, yet … he made it beautiful.”

“I walked past the square again later, and of course, soldiers were pulling up the flowers and washing away the paint from the walls, but plenty of people saw it, and I heard tons of people talking about it during the day,” Cale was saying. “It doesn’t matter that it is probably gone by now, ‘A’ already got to the people, changing the way they think about the bombing. It’s a city-wide tragedy, an inhumane thing that should be mourned, it’s a rallying point.”

Kris was quiet for a moment. He had to turn and face away from his friends. He was remembering how distraught and furious ‘A’ had been when they heard the first of the bombs and ‘A’ had realized what has happening. Then, how he’d been frightened the next morning to go see the site for himself. Kris knew ‘A’ had tampered down his emotions for Kris’ sake because Kris had been so frightened. Kris could only imagine the full extent of what ‘A’ had been feeling, or what he must be feeling now, after erecting a memorial to the deaths of hundreds of his supporters, killed only because that’s what they were.

“Kris?” Cale asked, voice tentative as Kris still wasn’t facing them. “Sorry you couldn’t see it yourself…”

“Yeah…no, it’s okay. I know I have to stay here, under wraps.” 

Kris closed his eyes for a moment, collecting himself from the moment of unexpected emotional fragility. He turned back around to his friends.

“You guys probably haven’t eaten yet. Want to hang out here for a while?”

Kris put on dinner for his friends, and they later proceeded to break out beers and talk about everything that was resolutely not ‘A’ or the bombing. Kris may have drank a bit more than he usually did, in attempt to blot out the image from his mind of ‘A’ alone and despondent in the underground apartment. It never fully disappeared, until his friends put him to bed and quietly let themselves out.

 

“So I’m trying to leave, but she’s still hanging on my arm and my pants are half off!”

Charles and Kris were in tears with laughter, as Cale recalled a particularly crazy night he and Charles had at the club while Kris was away. They had been sitting around Kris’ living room for almost three hours by now. Charles had told Kris all about the amazing girl he’d met, and Cale still had plenty of hilarious stories for Kris. They had to catch Kris up on everything he’d missed out on. 

Tonight, Kris didn’t have interest in more than a single beer. The headache he’d woken up with, after drinking too much with his friends a few nights before, had definitely not been worth it.

“Oh!” Charles exclaimed, “We have to tell him about that time we tried cooking!”

“Oh my god!” Cale cried, already laughing. “Kris, we tried making that stir fry dish you always do, because we missed it, but holy shit, I didn’t know stir fry could go that wrong…I mean, it seemed simple enough, right?”

Cale and Charles recounted their disastrous cooking attempt, and as they told Kris about sauce on the walls and only half-cooked vegetables, Kris’ laugh grew loud and boisterous. Charles launched right into another story, and soon Kris was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. This was exactly what he’d missed about his life. His great friends and the normalcy of just sitting around and laughing their heads off about all the stupid shit they’d done together.

Eventually, Cale and Charles’ stories starting running out, and their laughter started dying down. Charles drank down the last couple sips of his drink as a comfortable silence filled the room, still warm with so much laughter. 

“Looks like we still managed to have a few good moments, between all the worrying about you,” Cale said to Kris from where he sitting on the floor on the other side of the coffee table from Kris.

“That’s good. You know I never meant to worry you guys.”

“We know, Kris. We’re just glad you’re back and you were safe,” Charles said, reaching over to give Kris’ shoulder a playful punch.

They were quiet for a few moments. Kris was still smiling. 

“Kris,…you could probably guess we were wondering about this, but…” Cale started to say, his voice a bit changed now. He suddenly seemed more somber, and his voice was softer. “What …what was it like? What was ‘A’ like? Did you actually spend time around him?”

Kris looked down to his lap, watching his hands weave and unweave themselves together. What a big question… He didn’t have the slightest idea how he could ever really tell about all the things that had happened, everything he’d experienced with ‘A’, but these were his best friends and they deserved his best attempt. 

Kris took a deep breath. “I did actually spend a lot of time around him. I mean, he was out during the day, most of the time, but he would come back and we would usually eat and he would be around in the evenings.” 

Kris sighed, letting his head fall back to rest against the sofa he was sitting on the floor in front of. He looked at both of his friends, then his gaze fell to rest someplace beyond them. 

“He was…nothing like I expected. You guys know how the government paints him, how they want us to think he’s just some criminal or murderer. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It actually makes me kind of mad, that there are people who think of him like that.” Kris had to pause again, had to think and search and reach for the best words. 

“This is going to sound so weird, but … he’s good in a way I could never have expected anyone to be. It would have been easier, safer for him to just leave me when I was unconscious in the Banking building, but he did save me, and while I did warn him when that policeman was coming behind him, I don’t think he did it just because he felt like he owed it to me. For some reason, it seemed like he … he kept protecting me. It was the third time he saved me. I know you guys remember the Commerce building, that was the first time. I didn’t tell you about the second time, it was when we went to that rally that got broken up by police. Do you remember when there was a policeman cornering us, about to shoot us? The someone came in the middle and shot him first? Remember I ran into that alley by myself and told you guys to go?”

Cale and Charles were nodding, remembering the moment Kris was talking about and listening with rapt attention.

“That was him. That was the second time, and I ran after him because I had to know whether it was him or not, and it was.”

Kris took another long breath, trying to slow his racing mind. Cale and Charles seemed to be practically hanging on his every word.

“You’d probably think he just brought me to his hideout and then just kind of left me there until it was safe for him to bring me back home. He could have just ignored me; there was no reason for him to go out of his way for me, but he did so much. He provided for me and took care of me. He tended to the injury I’d gotten at the Banking building. He let me stay in his bedroom. He cooked for me almost every meal, always having breakfast ready when I woke up and lunch prepared so I could eat while he was out. 

“He tried to make sure I was happy there and entertained. He had a whole library in his bedroom, filled with hundreds of incredible books, most of which the government outlawed. He let me read any of them I wanted, even left out a stack of his favorites for me. It’s really amazing that he was so patient with me, because when he first told me I would have to stay there while the government was looking for me, I kind of freaked out on him, thinking he kidnapped me or something.” In retrospect, Kris smiled a little at the memory. 

“So, he wasn’t like some quiet recluse?” Cale asked, his expression still wondrous after hearing everything Kris had said.

“Sometimes he was really quiet. It would get a little creepy now and then, sometimes it seemed like he was just kind of staring at me through his mask, not saying anything. But no, he spent a lot of time keeping me company.”

“Did you ever … ever see him?” Charles asked, voice fallen into a hush.

“He was never without his mask, so no. There was one time…” Kris faltered for a moment, feeling a strange reflex to keep to himself the scars he’d seen along ‘A’s’ upper body. In the time Kris had spent in ‘A’s’ hideout, it was obvious how much trouble ‘A’ went through to hide the disfigurements. Would it be a betrayal to tell anyone about what he’d seen?

“One time…what?” Charles urged gently. Kris looked up at both of them, and saw how eagerly they were waiting to hear Kris finish. Their widened eyes and fascinated expressions made Kris give in.

“I got up earlier than usual one morning, and I saw him working out. He didn’t mean for me to see, but he was shirtless. I didn’t get to see that well, but I could just make out that he had a ton of deep scars covering his torso, and his hands and arms looked like they’d been burned.”

A hushed silence fell into the room. Kris averted his gaze back down towards his lap.

“Do you have any idea what happened to him?” Cale asked. All their voices were still soft and tentative, as if they were discussing something dangerous, forbidden. In truth, they were. “Any clue what his story is?”

Kris shook his head. “No, no idea. He was incredibly kind and good to me, but he didn’t tell me anything like that.”

“Can’t go giving up the whole mystery now, I guess,” Cale said with a little shrug and laugh. 

Charles looked more serious beside him, still deep in thought. “It’s just…so unbelievable,” he murmured, only loud enough for the other two to barely hear him. “It’s incredible, that you were with him all this time. With ‘A’, the criminal, rebel, whatever you want to call him, who nobody knows or has even really seen. Who has eluded the government for years and made fools of them time and time again while he acts on behalf of the city’s liberation.”

“There is all that, all of the meaning and weight attached to the face of his mask, and that’s what made me wary and a little frightened of him at first,” Kris started to say slowly, thinking through his words before he said them as his mind flashed back through the many days he’d spent with the man everyone knew only as ‘A’. 

“Then, by the end of my time with him, somewhere along the way, to me he had stopped being all that. He had just become someone I trusted and cared about. Under the mask, he’s just a man. It’s easy to forget, with the little snippets and whispers as all we know of him, that he’s not some superhuman, infallible figure. He’s just as human and vulnerable as the three of us. The idea of him was so intimidating and strange, but then little by little, I learned that it was just a normal, human guy under that mask, and that was when I knew I had no reason to be afraid of him.”

“Didn’t the mask thing creep you out a little?” Cale asked, making a slight unpleasant face to hint to his answer if asked the question himself.

“At first, of course it did. Then I got used to seeing it, and knew that the freaky mask wasn’t any hint to the guy beneath it.”

“So you were just fine there, the whole time?” Charles spoke up again, still sounding awed and like he was coming from that deep place of thought.

“Yeah, completely fine. Well, the noise from the bombing freaked me out when it happened, but he was there with me and I got through it fine.”

“I guess we should really be thankful to him then,” Cale stated in a serious tone before cracking his usual grin, “Even if he does insist on wearing a creepy mask.”

“It’s not like he doesn’t have good reason to. The government still doesn’t have a clue who he is,” Kris said, returning some of Cale’s grin. In his mind, Kris was looking back to the time he’d asked ‘A’ why he wore the mask all the time, even in his own home, and how ‘A’ had been silent for a long while before answering that it was to hide his face from everyone, even himself.

Kris changed the subject.

 

Later that night, ‘A’ appeared in Kris’ dreams. It wasn’t the first dream like it Kris had ever had, but it was the first time Kris had dreamed of him since coming back home. 

In his dream, Kris was lying out on the sofa in ‘A’s’ living room reading a book, as he had done many times during the day, filling his time until ‘A’ came home. Then ‘A’ came in the door, and they exchanged a few words while ‘A’ took off his cloak, pulled off his wig, and kicked his boots off. He sat down on the couch at the opposite end from Kris, and they conversed for a while. When Kris woke, he wouldn’t be able to remember anything that had been said between them in his dream. By the end, Kris was reading his book again with a wide smile rising across his mouth, and one of ‘A’s’ gloved hands had come to rest at his ankle.

Kris came awake slowly, feeling confused and out of sorts. He realized with a sinking feeling that he had expected to wake up in ‘A’s’ bed. He rolled over onto his back, feeling cross and disappointed with himself. He sat up and shoved the covers back, looking around the room. 

Then he got up and made his way to his dresser on the other side of the room. The mask with the empty eyeholes ‘A’ had given him to wear was still sitting there atop his dresser. Kris hadn’t known what to do with it. Now, Kris lifted it and held it in his hands for a long moment. Then his face pinched into a frown and he kneeled down to open the bottom drawer and stuff the mask away in the very back before forcefully pushing the drawer closed again. He stood up, his eyes still trained on the drawer despite himself.

“I’m home now,” he murmured to himself firmly in the darkness of his own bedroom. “All of that is behind me and gone now. When I was away I was sick for home, sick for my friends, being back here is what I wanted. Don’t be stupid and ruin this for yourself, Kris. Everything’s good and normal and safe again.”

Kris padded back to his bed and wrapped himself in the blankets again. He resolutely repeated his last sentiment to himself in a mantra until he slipped back into sleep.

 

The days slid into weeks, and Kris did his absolute best to resume his normal life. No longer going to work made that difficult, but Kris did his best. His friends would come over almost every evening, occasionally bringing him groceries and whatever else he needed. 

He had only ventured outside once, to make a quick trip to the convenience store at the end of his block when he really needed laundry detergent. No one recognized or even looked at him twice, and he felt he could breathe easier when he returned home without incident. He hardly threw caution to the wind, but he felt reassured now that he wouldn’t have to spend too much longer cooped up in his apartment and hidden away. He watched the news daily to make sure the government didn’t mention him in their news broadcasts, and ever since the bombing they hadn’t. It seemed ‘A’ had been right about the government backing off from their offensive strategies after the bombing, for need of ensuring the people’s favor again. It seemed they had forgotten about Kris. 

Kris still wasn’t quite confident enough yet though to answer the phone calls from the government’s employment bureau, seeing if he had returned home from his disappearance and was ready to be placed in a new position. Kris was still letting them all go to voice mail. A couple more weeks without incident, and then maybe he would be sure enough to answer one of them. He couldn’t live on his savings forever.

So Kris continued to watch the news every morning before going about his day. He told himself it was just to make sure there was no mention of himself, but deep down, he knew part of him also wanted to hear any news concerning ‘A’. 

Kris kept adamantly pushing away thoughts of him, kept valiantly trying to leave all of that experience in the past. Of course ‘A’s’ kind treatment of him was nothing that deserved to be forgotten, but the terror of being in danger from the government and seeing his own face on the news, of witnessing police battling with ‘A’, hearing the horrific bombings, they were all the things Kris wanted to leave locked up in the past. Here in his home and with his friends, this was the normal life where he belonged. All of the extraordinary, dangerous things that had happened in the last few months belonged in the past, distant and forgotten. 

So he really, really tried to convince himself that the only reason he obsessively watched the news was to make sure his name was gone from it, and there was nothing stopping him from returning to his life as it should be.

Yet somehow, for some reason, things weren’t as simple as they should have been. Kris was back home, where he’d wanted to be, but his mind kept wandering back towards the things he was supposed to be leaving behind. He couldn’t understand why it was proving so difficult to keep discipline over his thoughts. The fact that he didn’t have a job to go to and occupy himself with made everything worse. He was by himself during most days, with nothing to keep his attention occupied away from the past it was supposed to be ignoring and forgetting. Not working also made it harder for Kris to feel like he had really reclaimed his old life. Cleaning, cooking, or lying around his apartment all day was certainly not like his days used to be. 

Every day he would count the minutes looking forward to when Cale and Charles would come over in the evening after they’d finished work. That was something exactly the same as before, and as long as his friends didn’t bring up ‘A’, Kris would be able to temporarily escape thoughts of him. It seemed almost anything could trigger them. Even when Kris would wake up with his mind elsewhere, just the smallest things could cause a relapse – making himself pancakes, picking up a book… 

Still, Kris tried his best to keep his mind in the present.

 

“So, when will you thinking about working? Lucky you, just getting to stick around at home all day.”

Cale and Charles were standing around Kris’ kitchen, sometimes helping Kris with the dinner he was cooking for all of them, but mostly just standing around.

Kris snorted at Charles’ comment. “It’s not as great as you might think. I get really bored. I never thought I would miss my crappy government jobs.”

“You’re going to have to take another one eventually, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, they’ve been calling me every now and then to see if I’m back and can start again. I want to wait a little longer before contacting them though, just in case they still have me on some wanted list.”

“You haven’t been on the news at all. Not like you were during the time you were gone. That was scary, let me tell you.”

“I know, tell me about it. How bad do you think it was for me, seeing my own face there?”

And just like that, Kris was back with ‘A’, sitting on the couch with him in his underground living room… Kris shook his head a little to clear it.

“You could try getting some other job on your own outside the government, like us,” Cale suggested.

“Even if my employer was someone else, my employment would still have to be registered through the government. Once they saw I was working some other job, they’d grab me back. You know how close they’ve kept an eye on me ever since the accident. They say they’re ‘taking care’ of orphans, but it seems more like they make indentured servants out of,” Kris said, adding a little hollow laugh.

“I guess that’s true, they have been putting you through the wringer for government jobs ever since. Ugh, remember when you were that journalist’s assistant?”

“Oh god, don’t remind me. He made me do everything.” Kris removed his pan from the stove and turned off the heat. “Hey, could you guys get plates?”

Cale and Charles took out the dishes, and filled up platters for themselves. 

“All we really missed while you were gone was your cooking,” Cale teased, sticking his tongue out at Kris.

“Yeah, yeah, keep that up and I’ll stop feeding you guys.” Kris rolled his eyes, swatting at his friends until they sat down at the table.

“What are we doing tonight?” Charles asked once they were sitting at the table and digging in to Kris’ cooking.

“Poker?” Kris suggested.

“Hell yeah.”

“Sometime soon I’ll have to start going out again,” Kris said somewhat longingly. “I want to go to the club and to bars with you guys again. I miss it.”

“We miss it too. We tried going to the club once but it wasn’t the same without you. Half the fun is watching you sneak around getting your secret flirt on.”

Kris laughed, “I did get pretty good at it, didn’t I?”

“It was bad, Kris. We were there picking out the guys you would have been dancing with. Then we realized we just missed you and went home to cry about it.”

“Well we didn’t cry…” Charles added defensively.

“Right, right, I’m sure,” Kris soothed, patting Charles’ arm. “Don’t worry; nobody’s questioning your manhood.”

They finished up their last bites of dinner, and then Charles and Cale helped Kris clean up the kitchen. 

“Poker?” Kris prompted once they were done, fishing out his cards from a drawer in his kitchen.

 

Kris was sitting in his living room. He wasn’t sure what he had been doing a minute ago, or how he’d come to be sitting on the couch doing nothing. The TV was off, and the room was quiet. 

There was a noise at the door to his balcony, and Kris turned his head to look. It was dark outside, but Kris could immediately make out ‘A’s’ form perfectly outside the glass door. In an instant, Kris was at the door letting him in and ‘A’ stepped into the room. He was in his customary all black costume with the cloak, but his wig was gone. Kris had always liked ‘A’s’ dark natural hair, how he kept it unkempt, letting half stick up while the other half fell across the top of his mask.

“Kris.” ‘A’ spoke his name with a soft urgency and Kris couldn’t help but shiver.

“Yes?” Kris whispered, “What are you doing here?”

‘A’ moved closer, until his taller form was right in front of Kris and Kris had to tilt his head back to look into his masked face.

“I’ve missed you, Kris. I need you with me.” 

‘A’s’ voice was a soft yet deep murmur that came from behind his mask. Completely entranced by his words, Kris was only half aware of ‘A’s’ hands around his waist, pulling him nearer. 

“Come back, come home with me.”

Kris’ response was to press himself farther into ‘A’s’ arms. The tall, masked man began moving back towards the balcony and pulling Kris with him. Kris was utterly lost in him, losing track of everything around him. Then they were on the balcony. ‘A’s’ arms were holding him tightly, so when ‘A’ slowly leaned backwards, Kris went with him. They fell together through the air, soaring, and everything around Kris was a blur except for ‘A’s’ masked face close against his own.

That was when Kris jolted awake. He had fallen asleep on the couch in his living room, and there was a loud knocking on his door accompanied by his friends’ voices. Muggy from the dregs of sleep and his eccentric dream, Kris looked about the room. It was empty. The door to the balcony was open, like he’d left it earlier for a draft, and the curtains were blowing out in the breeze onto the vacant balcony.

Kris swallowed back emotions he couldn’t even begin to name, and got up to let Cale and Charles in.

They had brought takeout food for once, instead of making Kris cook for them all. Kris was glad. His head was too fuzzy to do much of anything. He suggested they just watch a movie or some TV. Soon, they were situated around Kris’ living room with their respective takeout boxes and a movie flashing on the screen. 

Cale was sitting next to him and noticed Kris’ behavior. Before the end of the movie, he asked, “Are you okay, Kris? You keep looking out the balcony…”

Embarrassed, Kris resolutely focused his attention back on the screen. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m completely fine.”

 

The previous day’s freaky dream had given Kris something of a hurdle, but he was doing a good job the next morning again of schooling his thoughts. That was, until he got a phone call from Charles right after he finished breakfast.

“What’s up?”

“Have you heard what he did this morning?”

“What? Who? And how would I hear anything…I don’t leave my apartment.”

“ ‘A’! He was spotted this morning. There was a fire that started in an apartment building on the other side of the city. Firemen and police spent hours trying to put it out. There were two little kids trapped on the top floor and it looked like they weren’t going to be able to get them out. The families were there outside, going crazy. Then ‘A’ showed up on the roof and went in through one of the windows. He came out a few minutes later carrying the kids and left them on a nearby low rooftop where the firemen could easily get them before he disappeared. I guess he’s a real superhero now, and he managed to make the government look like fools again.”

“That happened this morning?”

“Yeah, of course you wouldn’t have heard anything about that on the news today.”

Kris remembered sharply that most phone lines were monitored. They hadn’t said anything dangerous yet - no doubt the whole city was talking about the same thing - but they were getting precariously close. Charles must have been thinking the same, because he was silent for a few moments.

“That doesn’t sound like something a murderer would do,” was all Kris said. “I’ll see you guys tonight, right?”

“Right.”

After Kris hung up, he spent far too long envisioning the scene in his head, and the details came far too easily. The children had probably shrunk back in fear when they first saw his mask, but then clung to ‘A’ as he carried them from the burning building in his arms. They must have been crying from the smoke and the fear, and ‘A’ had probably murmured to them that everything was going to be okay. After depositing them safely on the roof, Kris could see him patting one of their heads before he left.

Kris closed his eyes with a frustrated noise. “Dammit, Kris! What the hell’s your problem?! One mention of him and it’s like a total relapse.”

Kris sighed as he moved away from the phone, as if putting a physical distance between it and himself could separate him from what Charles had told him and the scene that had played in Kris’ head. Why did ‘A’ have to make it so hard for Kris to forget all the other things that had happened to him? How was Kris ever supposed to get on with his life if he was always stuck like this, chasing thoughts and memories he didn’t want to have around and around in his head?

Kris was beginning to feel like being home was proving an unfair chore. Why should he have to be trying so hard to pick his life back up at home? Why did he feel like a square peg trying to force himself into a round hole?

Kris’ friends came knocking in the evening, and Kris was already making dinner. Cale and Charles helped him finish up and get the food set out on the table. They ate, cleaned up, and then went to lounge around the living room. The conversation flowed automatically to the events of the morning. 

Charles was speaking, “A couple months ago, I would have been surprised when I heard what ‘A’ did this morning. Back then, all I knew about him was what the government told us. Even if we weren’t friends with Kris and didn’t know about everything ‘A’ did for him, we would have heard the whispers and secret news always going around about the things ‘A’s’ doing. Somehow or another, everyone hears. Little by little, people are finding out the truth about him, that he’s not the bad guy.”

“Saving kids from a burning building? How less of a bad guy can you be?” Cale said with a little scoff.

Kris hadn’t been able to get his mind off this for even a second the whole day, so he didn’t bother trying to refrain from the conversation. He couldn’t help saying, “He didn’t do it just to look good. He was probably in the area working for something else.”

Cale and Charles both surveyed Kris for a long moment. Kris shrugged. “I know it’s true. I know him well enough.”

“Well no matter how he does it, this is probably the most important thing he has to do – getting the people behind him,” Cale was saying. “No matter how skilled or smart or determined he is, one man can’t bring down the whole government. He has to mobilize the people, open their eyes to the possibilities of standing against the government.”

Charles was nodding in agreement, but Kris was only half listening, half lost inside his own head. 

“What he did this morning doesn’t surprise me at all,” Kris said softly after a few seconds of silence. Cale and Charles looked at him, listening silently and somewhat taken aback. “It’s exactly the kind of thing he would do, after everything he did for me. It was almost the exact same thing for me as it was for those kids, the first time I saw him, when he saved me from the Commerce building. He would save every single person in this city one by one if he could.”

“What makes you say that?”

Kris’ eyes took on a distant look as he succumbed; allowing memories of his time with ‘A’ fill his head yet again. 

“Before the bombing happened, he knew something terrible was going to happen. He’d been out that day and the police had almost caught him. When he came back, we saw on the news that the government was desperate and taking on new searches for him and offensives against the people who support him. ‘A’ was furious and distraught when he heard. He knew there were rallies planned that night, and the government would do something terrible to those people when they discovered the rallies. ‘A’ wanted to try to help all those people, there was nothing he wanted more, but he knew the police would be pouring over the city in search of him, and chances are he would be captured. He had to choose. It was obvious how much it hurt him to have to stay. He couldn’t help those people, so he would be able to help more people in the future. I remember I was afraid he would go anyway, and something would happen to him. I remember I begged him not to go.”

As Kris spoke about his time in ‘A’s’ hideout with him, the clarity of his memories brought him back like he was right there, experiencing it again. Kris’ eyes took on a faraway look, almost as if peering again into the past time he was discussing. He couldn’t know, but his eyes took on a glow, and as he spoke and let the taboo subject run free, he felt more alive than he had during the past weeks, spent floating through day after day in avoidance of his experience.

“To think, when you had your first encounter with him and he saved you from the burning Commerce building, we had all been afraid he would’ve hurt or killed you. We didn’t know anything about him then,” Charles was saying, thinking out loud.

Kris latched onto his friend’s line of thinking immediately, the starry eyed look still filling his eyes. “I can still remember that so clearly. I was so frightened and it was hard to breathe through the smoke and pain in my head. I barely knew what was happening, but all I can remember is how carefully he carried me.”

“He probably had to treat you the same as those kids,” Cale said with a snicker.

“I guess it’s just in his nature to protect. I would do almost anything to know his motivation for everything he does for this city, but in addition to that, I’m convinced he’s just naturally a really caring person.” 

Kris folded his hands tightly in his lap, still with that distant, excited glimmer in his eyes. 

“During the bombing, I was so, so terrified. I had my hands over my ears and I would tremble every time I heard one. From underground, we could feel the awful tremors traveling through the ground with every bomb that went off. Then the lights went out, and I was so terrified I could hardly breathe.” Kris’ voice rose as he described one of the horrifying experiences he had spent the past few weeks trying so hard to forget. 

“ ‘A’ lit a candle, and I moved closer to him. The sound of the bombs from underground was so horrible; I got closer to him without even realizing I was doing it. I just wanted to get away from the noise somehow. Then, I don’t even remember how it happened, but … a minute later, he was holding me tightly in his arms.” Kris had to take a deep breath when he remembered it. “And somehow, my fear started to go away.”

Charles and Cale had been listening closely and intently watching Kris the whole time he was speaking, but at that moment, they had to look up and glance at each other. Kris didn’t notice. As for as he was concerned, the room around him had ceased to exist.

“Kris.” Cale spoke, and Kris was suddenly torn from ‘A’s’ hideout in his memory and abruptly found himself in the middle of his own living room again. When his gaze finally took in his friends again, sitting in front of him, Kris felt a hint of embarrassment that he had just let his mouth run about even the somewhat intimate memories he had of ‘A’.

“Kris,” Charles said again, echoing Cale. They kept looking between each other and Kris, looking as if they had something very serious to say but weren’t sure how to do so. 

“Have you ever thought…,” Charles started, then seemed to reconsider. “I mean, Kris, it seems like … When you talk about him, you get this look on your face like I’ve never seen before. Like you’re right there back with him, or you wish you were. Have you ever thought … you might be in love with him?”

Kris fell still and silent, and his friends watched him anxiously, worried they may have said the wrong thing.

Kris sputtered, and disbelief covered his face. “What? How could I? I…I don’t even know what he looks like, I don’t even know what his name is!”

“Does that matter?” Cale asked seriously. “You spent so much time with him. You keep saying how he looked after you and was so good to you.”

“It’s just because he’s a good person, and of course I admire someone who saved my life three times.”

“But the way you were talking about him a minute ago…”

“Ugh! I knew I shouldn’t have let myself babble about it to you guys!”

“Why don’t you want to talk about it? Why are you trying so hard to forget?” Charles asked, his tone insistent.

“I just want to be normal again! ‘A’ was nice to me, but the other things that happened weren’t so nice. I got shot in the middle of a police battle, I felt what it was like to know the government was hunting me, and the bombing was…”

“Right, Kris, we’re sorry,” Cale rushed to say when they head Kris’ voice begin to climb. “It’s just…we thought, maybe you try not to think about what happened because it hurts being away from him.”

Kris bit his lip, drawing his knees up against his chest and holding them close. “I wanted to come home. I asked him if I could, when it was safe.”

“We’re sorry, Kris. I guess we were wrong. It’s just … you’ve been a little different ever since you came back, and we thought maybe that’s what it was.”

Kris was silent, just thinking for a moment and avoiding his friends’ gaze. “I guess it only makes sense that I’m different, but I don’t know what it is either, but whatever it is that’s the matter with me…,” Kris sighed, hugging his knees closer. “I can’t put any of it out of my mind. Not my trouble with the government, and especially not ‘A’.”

 

Improbable as it was, what his friends had suggested haunted Kris. Avoiding thoughts of ‘A’ became all but impossible. This was especially true two days later, when ‘A’ caused a debacle by scrambling all of the government’s TV broadcasts when they were supposed to be honoring the prime minster’s birthday. 

Kris kept the TV on all day, watching as the frenzied news people tried desperately to retake their hijacked broadcast while it was continually interrupted by unflattering, denigrating pictures and clips of the prime minister. Kris had a few laughs, but he wouldn’t pretend he didn’t know the real reason he couldn’t turn the TV off. He was hoping ‘A’ would make an appearance himself. 

In the later hours of the afternoon, he finally did. It was only brief, but it made Kris stop in his tracks before the TV all the same. ‘A’ was sitting behind the desk in a room set up as an imitation of the government’s newsroom.

“The life of a tyrant is nothing to celebrate. This man has done no good for us, the people of his city, and if he has changed our world at all, it is for the worse. He is a man I will never give loyalty or admiration to, as he deserves no one’s. However, I hope to soon see our dear prime minster removed from power, by any means necessary. If I must aid him with this task, I shall. Nothing would make me quite as proud to witness, because nothing would do this city quite as much good. I know I cannot be alone in my thoughts.”

Kris felt a stab of what was unmistakably fear as the screen returned to static and ‘A’s’ words sank in. Obviously, ‘A’ had been playing with fire from the start, but now he had taken on what could be no more dangerous – Threatening the prime minister himself. Kris remembered when ‘A’ had been searching for the prime minster’s illusive residence, and had come dangerously near to being caught. Kris hadn’t known or expected ‘A’ to so plaintively make the prime minster his target. Now, somehow the government would pursue him even more heatedly. 

Kris did his best to assure himself he would certainly be alright, ‘A’ had been doing this for years already and knew how to evade capture. Then, Kris realized with a start exactly how concerned and frightened he was for ‘A’. Cale and Charles’ words about the feelings Kris might have for ‘A’ replayed in his mind – as they had been doing constantly in the past days. They didn’t quiet until I went to bed, but even then they did not leave him. They stirred the strangest dreams Kris had yet to have, but only the first of many like it.

Kris was lying on the couch in ‘A’s’ living room, a book open in front of him. He was just wondering when ‘A’ would be returning, when he lowered his book and saw ‘A’ standing in the doorway, the eyes of his mask focused nowhere but on Kris. Kris was thrilled to see him.

He put his book aside as ‘A’ came into the room. ‘A’ moved straight towards the sofa, dropping his cloak, shedding his wig, toeing off his boots, and peeling off his jacket, letting them fall in a trail behind him. Even through the mask, Kris could tell without question that ‘A’s’ eyes were still fixed directly on him.

“What is it? Are you alright?” Kris asked, beginning to sit up, but then ‘A’ moved quickly to sit near him and pressed a hand to his chest.

“Nothing’s wrong. Nothing at all,” ‘A’ toned, and something in his voice sent shivers racing through Kris. “You’re here.”

All of a sudden their bodies were pressed together, Kris reaching for ‘A’ at the same time ‘A’ dragged him close. Then they were falling back against the couch together, ‘A’s’ larger, muscled body covering Kris’ completely. ‘A’ growled Kris’ name and Kris groaned, clutching ‘A’ more tightly against himself. ‘A’ straightened up only slightly over Kris, one strong hand gripping the back of Kris’ neck to pull him up after him so they could meet in a flurry of messy, desperate kisses. ‘A’s’ face was still covered by his mask, yet somehow Kris could still feel the hot, overwhelming press of ‘A’s’ mouth to his own. 

Kris was completely swept up in the passionate sensations. There was only one thought piercing through the haze that was filling his senses. He needed to see ‘A’s’ face. When they were so close, and Kris could feel every inch of ‘A’s’ body pressed against his own, he needed to see. 

Kris’ hands gripped and clutched ‘A’s’ clothes and shoulders wherever he could reach. He pulled his head back for a moment and, without a single clear thought in his head besides lust and need, he reached up in one quick movement and tore ‘A’s’ mask away. 

‘A’ let out a loud, sudden cry, letting go of Kris and rearing away from him. Kris couldn’t help a cry of his own, falling back when he saw what was beneath the white mask. 

‘A’ didn’t have a face. Beginning at his chin up to his hairline was nothing but a black, empty hole. ‘A’ made a noise like a deep shriek, his hands rushing to cover his empty face. Kris scrambled from the couch, his feet pounding against the floor as he fled.

He woke up screaming.

 

“I need to get out,” Kris said resolutely for what must have been the sixth time. He was standing in front of his bedroom mirror, gelling his hair, while his friends sat on the bed behind him. 

“You’re sure it’s safe for you to go to the club?” Cale asked yet again.

“Yes, it’ll be fine! I’ve been going out to you and Charles’ apartments and to the store and everything has been fine. We always avoid police at the club anyway.” Kris gave his hair one last pass before turning toward his friends. “So? Are you guys ready to go?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re ready. If you’re sure this is okay.” His friends were in jeans and suit jackets, while Kris had on slim fit slacks and a low cut top. 

Kris rolled his eyes. “Yes! For the last time, I’m sure! Now come one!” He grabbed their arms and started dragging them outside.

Kris really couldn’t wait. He needed to blow off steam and lots of it. He wanted to lose all of his haunting thoughts and troubling dreams in sore feet, pounding music, and the press of some attractive guy’s hands all over him. 

Kris, Cale, and Charles moved quickly through the dark streets, mindful that they couldn’t stay out too long because of curfew. As soon as they were admitted and stepped through the doors, Kris found what he’d been looking for in the form of a tall guy with a pretty face standing just inside the door who gave Kris eyes. 

Kris wasted enough time only to get one drink at the bar before going over to the guy. He smiled at Kris and he returned it, marching right up to grab the guy’s hand without preamble. The dance floor was packed as the music boomed, lights sweeping over the heads of all the people crammed into the club. 

Kris and the guy he’d caught waded out onto the dance floor together until they were deep enough in the crowd that the mass of dancing people would obscure the sight of them. Once there, Kris roped his arms up over the guy’s neck and pressed their hips together while the other guy tugged Kris in with arms around his waist as they started moving together. Kris was glad the guy was a good dancer, although he wasn’t feeling picky. The taller guy put a hand against Kris’ lower back to dip him in closer and grind against him. 

The beat pulsed deep in Kris’ body and he welcomed the way it drowned out his overactive thoughts. This was exactly what he needed. He was sick of avoiding the natural workings of his brain, sick of how hard it had been to leave behind everything that had happened to him. He didn’t understand why it was like this. When he’d been gone, he’d yearned for home, but now that he was here, why was it his thoughts kept traveling elsewhere?

Kris closed his eyes, turning around and pressing his back against the guy’s body. He let the music wash over him and take him over as he moved against his dance partner, just letting the beat of the music drown everything else out. The guy slid his hands around Kris’ slim hips, pushing his hips forward against Kris with each movement Kris made. Kris relaxed, just letting his body move on its own. When he felt the guy’s mouth moving against his neck, Kris tipped his head to the side and let him. 

When Kris opened his eyes again, the flashing lights streaming around the dancing people nearly blinded him. His eyes floated around, at all the people dancing and moving around him, some in partners and some alone, just losing themselves in the music. Kris couldn’t remember what his dance partner looked like, he only knew he felt good against Kris’ back, and they were moving together in perfect sync. His hands were big and strong on Kris’ hips, holding Kris back against him, and his mouth was hot against Kris’ neck. His firm, larger body moving behind Kris felt perfect, and Kris kept pushing back for more, more, more.

Then Kris’ half-lidded eyes traveled through the crowd again, and only for an instant, a split second, he thought he saw the blur of a pale white mask. Kris’ heart leaped into his throat, but when his wide, shocked eyes fixed on that same spot again, there was nothing there between the dancing bodies. Kris realized he was hyperventilating. 

“What’s wrong?” the guy asked near Kris’ ear, since Kris had stopped moving. Kris had to physically shake himself to tear his gaze away from the spot where he thought he’d seen ‘A’s’ mask appear. 

God, he thought, panicked, Now I’m crazy and delusional.

“Nothing, I-I have to go.” Kris pulled away from the guy and started struggling and pushing his way through the crowd to get off the dance floor. The guy reached for Kris as if to catch him, but he was already gone.

Kris found his friends at the bar. Cale was chatting up a girl while Charles was tipping back the last dregs of a drink.

“We need to leave. I need to get out of here,” Kris’ voice was hushed, only barely audible over the thumping music. Cale and Charles turned towards him ready to protest, but then paused when they saw Kris. Kris’ gaze was downcast and he had his arms wrapped around himself.

“Are you okay?” Cale asked, standing up to put an arm around Kris’ shoulders.

“I-I just need to go,” Kris said, covering his face with one hand. Cale and Charles guided him out of the club and into the night.

“What happened?” Charles asked once they were halfway to Kris’ apartment and Kris still hadn’t said anything. “That guy you were with didn’t try anything, did he?”

Kris was silent, focusing on nothing but the pavement for a long time.

“I…I thought I saw him,” he finally murmured in a tiny voice, but his friends listened closely to hear every word. “I know it’s impossible. What would ‘A’ ever be doing in a nightclub? He has a million other things to be doing… My eyes were just playing tricks on me. They must have.” 

Kris shivered even though the night was warm.

Charles took a gentle hold on his arm. “It’s going to be okay. Let’s just get you home. You’re probably just tired.”

Kris was silent the rest of the way back. He didn’t look anywhere but the pavement in front of him, almost afraid of what he might see in the dark alleys or between the buildings.

Once they were inside Kris’ building and Kris was unlocking his door, Cale asked, “Do you want us to stick around for a while?”

“No, no thanks. I just want to be by myself. Sorry I messed up tonight.”

“It’s fine, Kris, don’t worry.” Charles pat Kris’ shoulder. “Just call if you need anything, okay? We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Afterwards, Kris leaned back against the closed door for a long time. He looked around his dark apartment – the empty couch, the bare kitchen counters, the white curtains covering the glass door leading out to the vacant balcony. There were no imaginings or delusions to hide the fact that Kris’ apartment was dark and empty. 

Almost a half hour passed before Kris pushed himself away from the door and slowly made his way back to his bedroom. He peeled his shirt off and stripped down to his boxers. He wanted to just go to sleep and stop thinking about whatever it was that had happened tonight, but once he was asleep, who knew what kind of dreams he would have? Would they offer any relief from the worrying confusion that had made its way into his life? He pulled the covers on his bed back, but then hesitated. 

Slowly, he looked towards his dresser in the corner of the room. He moved towards it and kneeled down in the dark room, pulling open the bottom most drawer. He slowly reached his hands to the back of the drawer until his fingers curled around the edges of the mask he had hidden away there. Dust fluttered into the air as he pulled the white mask out. He sat there holding it in his hands, letting ‘A’s’ red grin and dark eyes look out at him. 

For that split second in the club, he had seen it all perfectly, down to every detail. The idea of coming face to face with ‘A’ again, of him really having been at the club filled Kris with equal parts anxiety and exhilaration. He wondered if his mind had shown him that strange illusion because that was the face his mind had been hoping he was dancing with… 

It had been over a month now since Kris had last seen him. Kris could still remember that moment in perfect clarity – when he’d been standing in his living room, distracted and overwhelmed by the joy of seeing his home again, that he hadn’t noticed ‘A’ silently slipping from the room and leaving him. 

Kris realized fully for the first time that he would probably never see ‘A’ again. Kris had no hope of finding a way to contact him, and ‘A’ had probably already moved on and forgotten about the brief time Kris had spent with him, with the way he was always busy, always scheming, with his life devoted to his mission for the city. Kris wished he could do the same. 

As the truth emerged and took over Kris’ mind that ‘A’ was gone from his life forever, he finally realized with a kind of distant shock why he had been so unable to forget a single detail about ‘A’ or the things that had happened to him in the past months. Thinking that he would never see ‘A’ again, never talk with him or share the sofa with him, filled Kris with what couldn’t be mistaken as anything other than a desolate, lonely sadness, and when he finally felt the emotion in such painful clarity, he realized that he had been feeling it little by little ever since ‘A’ left him. 

He had spent the past weeks wondering and agonizing over why he couldn’t let go of his experiences, why he had dragged through day after day feeling somehow separated from the life he used to live. He would have felt relief that he had finally puzzled it out – if the ache of his loneliness wasn’t so crushing. 

He thought what he was feeling shouldn’t make sense. He spent so much time with Cale and Charles, his two best friends for almost his entire life, who had always been there through everything with him, and yet…

Kris crawled into bed, his breathing drawn out and slowed as if tears might find him. He pulled the blankets up around him. He held the mask tightly against his chest.

 

“I need to see him again.”

The next day, Kris had told his friends to come over as soon as they could. Now they were sitting around Kris’ living room, watching Kris sitting on the couch with his hands twined tightly together and a serious expression on his face.

“You mean… ‘A’?” Charles asked, “After what happened last night?”

Kris shook his head, looking down to the floor. He knew he would have to explain everything to them.

“No, this isn’t just from last night. Something’s been…wrong with me ever since I came back home. This whole time, I couldn’t really place what it was, but I think I know now. What you guys suggested a while ago, I know I said it couldn’t be true, but I think you may have been right. 

“I couldn’t understand why I haven’t been able to move on, why my mind just can’t seem to let go of everything that happened.” Kris took a deep breath. “It’s because I can’t let go of him. I might have wanted to forget all the scary things that happened to me but I couldn’t, because that would mean forgetting him too, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that.

“I don’t know what will happen when I see him again. I don’t know anything other than the fact that I have to.”

Cale and Charles were silent, but when Kris finally looked up, he found they didn’t look too surprised. It was a bit humorous in the strangest way, how it seemed they had figured this out long before Kris did. 

Cale came to sit down next to Kris on the couch. His friend still looked pretty anxious and stressed, even after he’d finally come clean about his troublesome feelings. “Do you have any idea how to find him?” 

“I’ve been thinking, we could go to a rally. He told me he comes and watches some of them, to see what his supporters are doing. If he sees me there, maybe he’ll come find me.”

“Going to rallies has gotten a lot more dangerous after the bombing,” Charles stated, worrying his bottom lip. “Yet people still go. The bombing only gave people more reason to support ‘A’, even though they know being caught at a rally would mean arrest and probably worse.”

“If it’s the only way Kris might be able to find ‘A’ again, we’ll go,” Cale added, putting an arm around Kris. 

Kris gave a faint, grateful smile. “You guys should wear hoods though, or you know, you don’t have to come with me if you don’t feel safe…”

“Bullshit. Of course we have to come with you,” Cale stated adamantly. Kris looked towards Charles, and he nodded as well. Kris had never been more thankful for his friends.

“I’ll look around on the underground Net tonight,” Kris said, hope beginning to surge through him for the first time in weeks. “I’ll try to find the next rally we can go to.”

 

Three nights later found Kris and his friends hurrying through the dark streets. They were barely visible through the dim streetlights, dressed from head to toe entirely in black. 

“You guys are going to keep you hoods on the whole time, right? If police come, we don’t want them seeing your faces,” Kris asked, tightening his own hood around his head.

“Right, and we don’t want them seeing yours either, Kris,” Charles said from Kris’ left side. “You already have a record they’re using against you and we don’t need to give them anything to add to it.”

“I know,” Kris said, his eyes sharply focused ahead as they moved down the sidewalks. “I’ll only take my hood off for a few minutes, just so he can see my face, if he’s there.” And Kris desperately, desperately wished he would be.

The rally turned out to be a lot like the one they had gone to a few months prior. This one was held in one of the small city parks, which wasn’t really much more than a grassy clearing with a few trees, situated in a small empty expanse between tall buildings on every side. Dozens and dozens of people in dark clothes and hoods filled the park. As they came, Kris and his friends tried to stay towards the edge of the crowd, where they thought they would be more visible. Kris looked around to the tops of the towering buildings, silently praying one of them was harboring ‘A’s’ silent, watchful eyes.

Towards the center of the park, someone climbed up into the branches of one of the trees and started addressing the people, rousing them together into chants denouncing the government and pledging support to ‘A’ no matter what the government did against him. Kris looked around to make sure no police or soldiers had infiltrated the park. Once he was satisfied he couldn’t see anyone other than protestors, he pushed his hood off. 

While the voice of the man addressing the crowd rose and the cheers grew more fervent, Kris couldn’t help feeling a strange, instinctive kind of triumph on ‘A’s’ behalf. It was indescribably reassuring to know that the government had not succeeded in threatening the people into abandoning ‘A’. As long as he had the support of people like these, he had the power he needed to succeed. 

The rally was over fairly quickly and the people were quick to disperse, sensitive to the knowledge that holding rallies was more dangerous now as the government grew more desperate to catch ‘A’. Kris couldn’t help feeling like his heart was being squeezed as the park emptied and he still hadn’t seen any movement on the roofs or in the alleys. 

“Kris,” Cale said softly, moving to pull Kris’ hood back up. “We don’t want to linger too long.”

Kris held his hood back despite Cale’s efforts. “Just a few more minutes, please.” If ‘A’ was there, Kris thought he might be waiting until the park was empty to catch Kris’ attention. Kris turned in place, looking everywhere he could think ‘A’ might be hiding, but a few more minutes past and he never saw even a hint of movement.

“Come on,” Charles whispered, taking Kris’ arm. “Sorry Kris, but he’s not here.”

Kris bowed his head, letting Cale finally pull his hood back on as they started for home.

 

That night, Kris slept with the mask gripped tightly in his hands again.

 

Over the next week, Cale and Charles went with Kris to two more rallies. ‘A’ made no appearance to Kris at either of them. They managed to avoid trouble, until the third rally they attended was crashed and broken up by police. Clutching their hoods tightly to hide their faces, Kris and his friends scrambled to get out of the park amongst the chaos of fleeing, screaming people. Cale grabbed Kris’ arm to pull him along when he started falling behind, and they didn’t stop running until they were safely back at Kris’ apartment. 

Kris wondered how many more times he would find himself in a situation like that, running from the police in a crowd of panicked people. Kris wasn’t sure whether it was a good or bad thing that tonight’s escape hadn’t terrified him nearly as much as his similar previous incidents had. 

Once Kris’ heart stopped racing and he caught his breath, the disappointment set in yet again. He still hadn’t found ‘A’.

His friends did their best to comfort Kris before they left, but Kris could tell they were freaked out from the near run in with the police – more freaked out than Kris was. Kris knew he couldn’t keep dragging them to every rally he found out about. It wouldn’t be fair for them to keep putting themselves in danger for Kris’ sake. Besides, Kris knew with a deep stab of pain that his idea may have been misguided and their efforts in vain. If they’d already gone to three rallies without a trace of ‘A’, then they might never see him, no matter how many they go to. Kris wondered whether he was too busy these days to come to rallies, or if he was watching like he always had and just chose not to come forward to Kris. 

Desperation and despair wanted to come, they wanted to take Kris over and make him crazy with the terrible, taunting thought that he might never see ‘A’ again no matter how hard he tried looking for him. Kris had spent the past weeks trying nothing but forgetting ‘A’, but now the idea of losing him forever was near unbearable. 

It stunned Kris how blind he’d been during these long weeks, how naïve he’d been when he had all but run away from ‘A’ with his one-minded attempts to return to his old life when he got scared. He should have known it would never be possible. Meeting ‘A’, gaining his friendship, and learning what it was like to live with him were experiences that would never leave Kris. Somehow he knew now with such clarity – he couldn’t understand how he hadn’t realized it before – that living under ‘A’s’ tender, compassionate watch, even for those few weeks, had left him disinterested and unsuited for anyone else.

Kris had to find him again, no matter what it took, and if looking for him at rallies was his only idea so far about how to do so, then that was what Kris would continue doing.

 

Digging through the secret underground Net free of government censors, Kris read about another rally scheduled for the following night. Kris knew he couldn’t keep dragging his friends to the rallies indefinitely. They were too dangerous, and they might never give Kris the opportunity he was looking for. 

Kris chewed his lip as he read through the pages about the rally. The rallies were still his only hope, and Kris knew he had to go. For the first time, Kris wondered whether or not he should tell his friends about it. If he didn’t, it would spare them another potentially dangerous and frightening experience if police appeared to break up the rally. 

Just a few months ago, the idea of going to a rally on his own would have been unfathomable, but now after the extraordinary things he’d experienced combined with his newfound conviction, the idea didn’t hold anywhere near the terror or impossibility it once would have.

Kris turned the idea around and around in his head. By the time he went to bed he had decided despite his better judgment that he would go to the rally by himself. He couldn’t help holding out hope that perhaps ‘A’ hadn’t made an appearance to him because Kris’ friends had been accompanying him. Maybe ‘A’ had seen him at the previous rallies and wanted to come speak with him, but was waiting for the time when Kris would be alone.

Despite what Kris knew were slim chances, he couldn’t help falling asleep with hope twinkling through him.

 

The next evening, Kris called Cale and Charles to tell them he wanted a relaxed evening to himself and they didn’t have to come over. After he hung up, he got dressed in the same dark clothes he’d worn before and pulled on his hooded jacket. With excitement and hope climbing their way up into his chest, Kris slipped outside with his hood pulled over his head. He kept telling himself it didn’t matter that his three previous excursions had been unsuccessful. This one was different. He had a feeling tonight was more promising. He was alone, and if Kris was mindful about making himself conspicuous and waited around afterwards, ‘A’ would have to make his presence known to Kris. 

While Kris didn’t think of himself as particularly remarkable or memorable, he thought back to when he had unexpectedly come face to face with ‘A’ in a back alley following a rally, and in that first real conversation, ‘A’ had told Kris he remembered him and that he thought of him. Even in the eventful flurry of ‘A’s’ life, Kris clung to hope that ‘A’ valued the time they had spent together, the same way Kris had come to.

Kris pushed his hood off when someone began addressing the people gathered there in the small square. This meeting place was smaller and more cramped than the other square – the one that had been destroyed in the bombing. Instead of being surrounded by roads and alleyways going in all different directions, this square only opened to one main road that passed through the middle of it. Buildings sealed it in all the other sides. It was a bit claustrophobic, but Kris made himself look up and study all the surrounding buildings for any trace of movement. He took care to stand towards the edge of the crowd, tipping his face up so he would be visible and recognizable. Now, he could only pray that this night wouldn’t end in the same crushing disappointment the nights of the other rallies had.

Despite being a bit smaller than the others, this rally would surely not lack excitement. The crowd’s cheers were just beginning when a commotion started at the edge of the crowd, a little ways away from Kris. At first, Kris had to push up on his toes, trying to see over the people around him to find out what was happening. Then a ripple of trepidation and fearful murmurs moved through the crowd, and Kris finally got a glimpse of what was happening on the other side of the square.

Fully formed lines of police were marching into the square. As they neared the crowd of hooded protestors, guns began firing and some of the policemen drew their clubs. Moving with the rest of the crowd as screams broke out and everyone realized what was happening, Kris tried to move towards the only exit, on the opposite side of the square. 

“It’s blocked!” Kris heard someone shriek. “Police are coming this way too!” 

Fear and panic began to settle heavy over the crowd. People started senselessly pushing and running, searching in vain for any other way out. Kris backed up against the wall of the building behind him to avoid being shoved or trampled. 

As he heard the gunshots and screams drawing closer, Kris started struggling for breath, looking around wildly for anywhere to go, but there were no back streets or alleys to slip down. There were only the two main roads from where the police were advancing. Looking at the panicking crowd around him, Kris knew he wouldn’t have been able to push his way through to escape, even if one of the roads had been clear. He was completely trapped. 

A kind of fear he hadn’t felt in a long time gripped Kris’ body. He was flashing back to the Commerce building, being trapped in that hallway by the force of the escaping crowd. He was remembering the Banking building, watching men – police and civilians alike - being shot and killed before his eyes. Then he remembered seeing the destruction from the bombing on the news; he remembered the death toll… Oh God, he was about to become a number in a death toll. 

His body screamed for him to run, to do something to save himself, but there was nothing he could do. The terrified people surrounding Kris had crowded him against the wall of the building as everyone kept trying to pull back and escape the police’s reach for another few seconds.

Splatters of gunfire kept breaking out. Over the heads of all the people crowded around him, Kris could see the police methodically working their way through the crowd and getting closer every second. Despite his panic, there was nothing Kris could do.

Kris barely held back a scream when a man right in front of him collapsed, blood oozing from three different bullet holes in his chest. The people around Kris made one final, desperate attempt to flee, but the overpowering numbers of police grabbed them all. 

His hands were shaking so hard he could barely control them, but Kris yanked his hood up and tightened it as much as he could. He pushed closer to the small group of protestors still left standing, hoping that perhaps he was small enough that he would escape notice surrounded by taller, louder people, but only seconds later, the police yanked each and every person away. Some of them were shot right there, others were thrown carelessly into the backs of police trucks. Kris wasn’t sure which fate was worse.

His heart pounding so hard it threatened to choke him, Kris whirled around towards the building he had been huddled against. He started madly scrabbling at the wall, looking for purchase and a way to possibly climb up.

“Don’t even think about it,” Kris heard the grunting voice of a policeman say. Then large, cruel hands had him, pulling him away from the wall. Kris cried out and struggled, beating and kicking and yelling at the two police who had a hold of him.

“Wait!” Kris heard one of the older policemen yell. None of these police were wearing helmets. Kris watched the one who’d shouted come closer, trembling despite how badly he wanted to appear courageous. “His face is familiar. Remove his hood.”

Kris’ hood was ripped away, and there were a few quick gasps and murmurs around Kris. 

“Kris Allen. Thought so,” the same policeman drawled in almost a bored voice, “Wanted for aiding the murderer known as ‘A’. We almost forgot about you, but showing up at a place like this? You’ve put the first nail in your own coffin.” He leered, grabbing Kris firmly by the arm. “Kid, you might still be the only thing close to a lead we have on that filthy bastard. So we’re going to bring you in alive, and you’re going to tell us every last thing you know.”

“I would never tell you anything!” Even in retrospect, Kris couldn’t say what it was in that terrifying moment that imbued him with such boldness.

The policeman who’d been addressing him clenched his teeth and suddenly grabbed Kris by the back of the neck, squeezing and forcing his head down. Despite how Kris yelled and struggled, a black bag was dropped over his head and then he was dragged and pushed until hands pushed him to fall on a hard, cold surface. Doors slammed, an engine started, and the police truck he had been locked in drove away.

 

Everyone knew that a government prison cell was probably the single most dismal, awful place to be. Kris knew that, but being huddled inside the tiny, dark, dank cell was still ten times more dreadful than he could ever have imagined. He’d only been here for a few hours, sitting curled up in the same corner, but already he felt crazy with the need to get out of this almost pitch black, cramped hell. 

After the truck had stopped moving and he’d been dragged out of the back, the black bag had been ripped from his head and bright lights had blinded him as he was processed. The deep voice of a tall figure standing behind the lights had calmly told him why he was here.

“Kris Allen, footage has been taken of you giving aid to the wanted terrorist and murderer known as ‘A’. You will be processed for questioning regarding the wanted criminal. If you produce any information that will aid us with capturing him, you will be released. If you refuse to cooperate, you will be punished as an insurgent. As a personal word, Mr. Allen, let me assure you it would be in your best interest to do anything in your power to avoid such punishment.”

Kris had been stripped bare, then dressed in an orange prison gown. Then he’d been held down in a chair while hands gripped his head, holding it in place while his head was shaved. He watched with wide, numb eyes, with nothing but his hands trembling, as his brown hair fell onto the dirty floor in clumps. Then he’d been tossed into this cell. He had curled up in the corner opposite the door and hadn’t moved since.

He had no idea what was going to happen to him, but he didn’t have much hope. He was almost certain ‘A’ hadn’t been at that final rally. If he’d been there and he’d seen Kris being arrested, Kris was positive ‘A’ would have done something. Though it had been spoken softly and during the duress of the bombing, Kris remembered and believed ‘A’s’ murmured promise that he would never let anything bad happen to Kris. 

Though, if ‘A’ hadn’t seen it happen, he couldn’t have any idea Kris was imprisoned. Kris couldn’t have much hope for a rescue. The only knowledge Kris could cling to for relief was that his friends hadn’t been with him at the rally. They were safe.

Kris didn’t know what kind of terrors or tortures were planned for him, but he knew to expect much of both. To his surprise, he didn’t feel any overwhelming or desperate fear. He just felt numb, like his fear had been shorn away just like his hair. He just felt resigned, resigned to the fact that they were going to question and push and hurt him to tell what he knew about ‘A’, and he wasn’t going to give them a single word. 

Some part of him knew that eventually they would give up when they realized Kris wasn’t going to talk, and then they would probably kill him. Somehow, dying didn’t sound nearly as bad as betraying ‘A’. The whole city was relying on ‘A’. He was the only person they had to pin their hopes on. All the people needed him. Yet Kris needed him more, and he couldn’t deny his reasons for protecting ‘A’ were more selfish than for the city’s common good.

Kris didn’t sleep, and when a plate of mushy food was pushed under his door, he didn’t eat. He just sat curled up in the corner of the cell, his feet fidgeting and tapping and his face tucked down against his knees. He was just waiting for it to begin.

The next day, it did. Two guards came to his cell and bagged his head again before dragging him out. Kris stumbled along as they pulled him, then, was pushed down roughly into a chair. He felt straps tighten over his arms and ankles, binding him to the arms and legs of the chair. Then the hood over his head was removed, and the blinding lights angled into his eyes blinded him. 

“Tell us what you know. Tell us whatever you know about ‘A’, and this can all be very, very easy.”

Kris just bit his bottom lip as he waited for his vision to stop swimming.

“Where did you go when he took you from the Banking building? Where is his hideout?”

Kris just focused on his breathing, not letting it run away from him. A deep breath in followed by a deep breath out.

“Is he working with anyone? Does he have men working for him?”

A hand slammed down against Kris’ arm on the armrest of the chair. Kris only jolted slightly in surprise. He could finally just barely make out the cruel face of the questioning police officer above him, his face hovering only inches above Kris’.

“Answer my questions, Mr. Allen. Or you’re going to wish you did.”

Kris just stared right back into his face, taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

Then the interrogator pulled back and someone handed him a switch. When he pressed his hand to it, a sudden electric shock made the chair rattle and Kris give a brief cry. Then the interrogator leaned over him again. Kris just bit his lip harder and closed his eyes. 

“Look at me! What’s his name?! Who is he?!”

Kris opened his eyes. He slowly found the other man’s eyes, and his own were burning with hatred and determination.

“Even if I knew, I would sooner die than tell you.”

Kris didn’t make a sound when the next shock came.

 

Kris lost track of night and day. There were just the interrogation sessions, followed by hours alone in his dark cell. He barely slept, and ate even less. The gruel they gave him could hardly be considered food anyway. 

Kris found himself longing for the tall stacks of fluffy pancakes ‘A’ used to make for him. Then again, Kris was yearning for everything ‘A’ used to do for him. Kris would lie in the squeaky, lumpy cot in his cell and imagine it was ‘A’s’ bed. When he was feeling especially hopeless, he would push the fantasy further. He would close his eyes and imagine ‘A’ was coming to join him in bed, and when he came, he would wrap Kris securely in his arms, keeping him safe from anything or anyone who would ever try to hurt him. 

It was fortunate for Kris that he could find comfort in his fantasies, because the interrogations only became more and more ruthless. After more electric shocks, Kris was subjected to water torture and other methods he didn’t care to dwell on, but still never said a word. Kris knew if their situations were reversed, ‘A’ would be brave enough to endure. He was determined to do the same.

It was hard to tell how many days had passed, in his windowless dark cell. Kris had lost count of the hours. If he had to guess, he thought maybe four days had gone by. He was starving, but couldn’t force down more than a few bites of the awful food he was given. When his fatigue became overwhelming, he would sleep no more than a few fitful hours on the cot. He couldn’t stop tossing and turning on the hard excuse for a mattress, and he felt better curled up in the corner. Well, he didn’t feel good anywhere in that cell, but being curled in the corner with two firm walls on either side made him feel just the slightest bit more at ease. 

It was always the same man there who conducted Kris’ interrogations. There were countless different guards that escorted Kris to and from his cell and stood around to hold him in place during the sessions, but it was always the same man doing the questioning. Kris was sure the man’s terrible face would be glued in his memory forever. He was harsh, cruel, and unyielding, but Kris could tell during the fifth session while Kris was still resolutely silent, he was beginning to grow impatient.

Kris was dozing in the corner when the door banged open. It took Kris a few moments to blink his eyes open enough to realize the two guards were coming to drag him back for questioning again. 

Kris sat his shoulders and started in on the deep rhythm of breathing that helped him keep his composure. After hours spent and suffered in interrogations, Kris had taken on something of a strategy to get through them. He would just focus on his breathing, focus on the steady rise and fall of his own chest to keep himself calm through whatever was being done to him. He would focus on the sounds of his own breathing and do his best to block out the harsh voice of the interrogator. Of course, that method of coping was robbed from him during the session when his head was held under water. He just prayed this questioning wouldn’t involve water again. That had been the most unbearable by far.

Kris didn’t fight against being taken from his cell. The guards each took a hold of one of his arms, and Kris walked on his own where they led him, his chin up high. As he was led through the prison corridors, he noticed there seemed to be double the guards on patrol than there usually were. It puzzled him, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on it.

He was brought back to the same room where most of his previous questionings had been held. He felt an instinctive shudder of protest when he was pushed into the same chair, but didn’t struggle as his arms and legs were strapped down. Then Kris’ interrogator came into the room, his face pinched into an unpleasant, sour expression. The man dragged a chair over in front of Kris and sat down. He just stared into Kris’ face for what seemed to be a long time, and Kris unflinchingly looked back.

“You’re trying my patience, Mr. Allen, and you’re beginning to become a waste of time. Now, in what you’ve experienced, you have the potential to be a true aid to this government. Just tell us what you know about ‘A’, and you will be released with the promise of protection for the rest of your life. Not only will you be helping your government, but you’ll also be saving all the people of this city from the hands of a terrorist. You have no reason to be protecting him, Mr. Allen. He’s a menace, a senseless murderer. Tell us what you know, and you will make possible the capture of this man posing the greatest threat to our city and every person living in it.”

Kris stared back into the man’s eyes, so dark they appeared almost black. He tightly gripped the arms of the chair, and took a few deep, steadying breaths.

“I won’t tell you anything.”

The electric shock Kris had been expecting didn’t come. Instead, the man sitting across from him sighed and gestured to one of the guards standing behind Kris’ chair. 

“Put it on him.”

Some type of headset was slid on above Kris’ ears and Kris shut his eyes, waiting for some kind of pain or shock. For now, none came.

“This is your last chance. Tell us anything you know about ‘A’.”

With his eyes still tightly closed, Kris said, “Never.”

Then the headset started to vibrate against the sides of his head, and an excruciating pain flooded his ears. He couldn’t help a shriek of pain as radiating agony drilled through his head, like knives from each side of his skull. It ended only a few short seconds later, but left Kris feeling weakened and utterly disoriented. He couldn’t remember where he was or what was going on…

“Tell me about ‘A’!” A voice screamed at him, “Where is he?! Tell me what you know!”

At first, Kris scrambled to speak and obey the booming, commanding voice grating against his still-buzzing ears; but just as he was about to start stammering out the first things that were coming to mind about ‘A’, a warning went off in his head. He wasn’t supposed to divulge any of this. Through the white-hot, ringing ache still fading in his head, he was just able to cling to that knowledge and to his own determination. He still couldn’t bring himself to speak through the agony.

The headset went off again. This time Kris screamed, but even through the scrambling of his thoughts, he clung to that one thing he had to remember no matter what. 

Don’t tell them anything.

The headset went off several more times. It became increasingly difficult to maintain a grip on his reason through the extraordinary and overwhelming pain. He was growing dangerously close to unintentionally giving everything up when the pain and disorientation became too much, but then, thankfully, the headset fell still. Struggling for breath, Kris’ head slumped down towards his chest. Someone removed the headset.

The interrogator leaned in close and lifted Kris’ head up by his hair. Kris’ face was a mask of agony.

“You’ll be getting one more session, Mr. Allen. One more, and then you might finally crack. If you still don’t give us what we want, then it will be your time for a swift death. I hope you can think clearly enough now to remember what I’m saying to you, that way you can spend tonight pondering whether protecting a criminal who doesn’t give a shit about you is worth your life.”

Kris couldn’t stand on his own when the guards unstrapped his arms and legs and lifted him from the chair. Kris’ head lolled weakly on his shoulders while the guards literally had to drag him back to his cell. Pulling him by the neckline of the orange prison gown, Kris was dragged back into his cell and left in the center of the floor. Once the guards were gone and the door was locked as usual, Kris pulled himself up onto his cot with a miserable groan of pain.

He couldn’t really see or hear or even think anything for a long time. His ears still felt as though they were buzzing inside his head, and his head was still throbbing. He wasn’t sure what that headset had done to him, but when he could think clearly enough to remember the interrogator’s last words, Kris felt panicked that he might not be able to keep governance over himself if subjected to that a second time. 

The idea crushed Kris. Envisioning himself with the headset on again and his brain put through so much of that devastating pain that Kris just started mindlessly babbling whatever the interrogator wanted to hear…Kris felt so ashamed. They would win. Kris would put them closer to catching the city’s only hope. They would kill ‘A’, and it would be all Kris’ fault for betraying him.

Kris couldn’t let that happen. He only had to make it through one more session, and then it would be over. He took on steely determination that no matter what they did to him tomorrow, even if it was the headset again, he would remember this, and his refusal to give them what they wanted would be ingrained down to his very bones. He kept repeating this undertaking to himself again and again, hoping the repetition would blot out his fear of failure.

Kris lay still on his cot for a long time, still trying to recover from the throbbing in his skull. Even though it hurt to think or do anything at all, he became aware of whispering voices he could hear through cracks in his cell wall. Kris slowly opened his eyes and made his pained mind focus on listening. Once he was sure he wasn’t just imagining the voices, he made himself sit up. 

He pressed his ear against the cold wall and listened. He supposed the soft voices had to be coming from the people in the cells next to him. 

“They’re afraid the rumors are true, and he’s really going to do it. I’ve heard the guards whispering about it all day.”

“They’re probably trying to step up security, in case he really comes.”

“I don’t think they could stop him, if ‘A’ really wanted to get in here.”

“Why would he do it, though? What’s the point?”

“Hell if I know. I’m just praying he comes.”

Kris backed from the wall with wide eyes. There were rumors ‘A’ was going to break into the prison? Then, Kris suddenly remembered seeing more guards than usual on patrol when he was being brought to the last interrogation. What the other prisoner had said about stepping up security seemed to be true. Kris had no idea how ‘A’ could have found out about his imprisonment… or maybe it had nothing to do with him. Maybe it was just a part of another one of his plans that had already been laid. Kris hadn’t heard of ‘A’ making any appearances since he rescued those children from the fire. His next scheme was probably overdue, but what could he be hoping to achieve through a government prison?

Kris laid back down, suddenly feeling entirely too much hope and excitement for the kind of place he was surrounded by.

He didn’t so much wish that ‘A’ would save him before tomorrow; he just wished he could have the chance to see ‘A’ one last time. 

 

Kris awoke only a few hours later. Anxiety about his next (and last) interrogation wouldn’t let him rest. He crawled off the cot and went to curl up in his corner. His soupy breakfast was pushed under the door. He didn’t move. 

Kris didn’t want to get his hopes up about the possibility of ‘A’ coming. He couldn’t let himself be too distracted from what he had to accomplish today – making it through another excruciating interrogation without saying anything. In truth, he didn’t know the answers to most of the interrogator’s questions, but if he lost control there was still plenty Kris could tell them. It hadn’t meant anything when he’d told his friends the little he did know, but with the government’s endless resources and ruthlessness, Kris knew every little scrap of information they collected would put ‘A’ in more danger. 

Kris hugged his legs tightly against his chest and pressed his face against his knees. He didn’t want to think about that headset being put on him again, he nearly couldn’t bear the thought. He blinked his eyes hard when he thought he felt tears coming on – tears of fear of the pain he would face, and terror that he wouldn’t make it through the questioning without giving in. 

Kris thought of that first rally he had gone to with his friends, when ‘A’ had appeared from a dark alley and saved Kris by shooting the police officer, momentarily exposing himself to capture with so many police around. Kris thought of the risk ‘A’ had taken, the potential danger he’d put himself in when he took Kris’ unconscious body with him as he escaped from the Banking building. ‘A’ couldn’t have known how Kris would take to what he had done. He couldn’t have known whether Kris would keep the things he would unavoidably find out about ‘A’. Saving Kris from the government’s clutches and bringing him back to his hideout could have had disastrous consequences for ‘A’, but he had done it anyway. Kris took a deep, shuddering breath as one troublesome tear fell and he clutched his knees closer. He wouldn’t let down the man who had put such trust in him, and done so much for him.

Kris’ head whipped up at the sound of a distant explosion. For a few long, pregnant moments, hope nearly choked him. Then there was another explosion, this one much nearer, and dust rained down on Kris as his cell shook. The guards in the corridor started yelling and shouting orders to each other, and Kris could hear them all running down the corridor. Kris heard the letter ‘A’ among their yelling. He waited all of a few seconds before running to the door of his cell and crouching down to look through the thin slot where his platters of food were pushed through.

At first, all he could see were the numerous guards rushing down the corridor. Their feet pounded down the hallway as they all ran, weapons in hand. Once the guards passed out of sight, a minute of silence fell over everything as all Kris could hear was his own loud breathing. He could just barely hear the voices of other prisoners in their cells, some excited and some frightened. 

Then the sounds of a fight broke out, a ways down the hallway. The blare of gunfire sounded, and Kris ducked away from the door when bullets ricocheted through the corridor. Voices yelled, and then, Kris heard screams that couldn’t have accompanied anything other than fatality. Kris had his face glued to the slot in the door again, trying to see anything he could and desperately praying that the screams he heard hadn’t belonged to ‘A’. 

Then the gunfire ceased, and heavy silence took over again as the yelling and shrieking voices faded. Kris felt he was about to pass out with anxiety over what exactly had happened, but he kept clinging to the door and wildly searching the corridor for any sign of what had happened. He still couldn’t see anything through that damn tiny slot.

Then there were heavy footsteps coming nearer and nearer. Kris held his breath until it hurt.

‘A’ finally came into sight, rounding the corner of the corridor and walking down in Kris’ direction. He was holding a sword in one hand, gleaming and partially stained with a dark red substance Kris didn’t have to wonder about. Kris couldn’t look away from him. Just seeing him again with his own eyes made Kris’ heart leap into his throat.

As ‘A’ came nearer, he began to pass the holding cells. As he moved down the corridor, he stopped before each cell door. He sliced each door’s heavy lock away with one strong plunge of his sword. He pulled each door open and helped the person inside start escaping down the corridor, most likely to freedom. Kris’ cell was the very last. As ‘A’ drew nearer to the door of his cell, Kris scurried back away from the door, anticipating that moment when ‘A’ would send the door swinging open. Kris could barely breathe.

‘A’ cut the lock on Kris’ door away and it fell with a loud clatter. Kris was standing in the center of his cell, his hands clenched tightly at his sides and his eyes blown wide while his heart raced in his chest. The door swung open with a loud creak.

‘A’ stepped into the dark cell. He was dressed in his whole costume, with heavy boots, the dark wig, the brimmed hat atop his head, and the ends of his black cloak trailing on the floor. He paused in the doorway. This door had finally revealed what he’d been looking for.

Kris was speechless, frozen in place when ‘A’ appeared right in front of him. He could barely think through the waves of overwhelming emotion suddenly crashing over his head. He had imagined and envisioned this moment so many times, yet he could never have expected this – for the days and days of missing and aching and yearning he’d done to suddenly coalesce into the staggering love he felt for this man, into the fact that Kris was unquestionably in love with him.

‘A’ sheathed his bloodied sword, still standing just inside the doorway. “Well, you’re free to go, too.”

At first, Kris wanted nothing but to throw himself into ‘A’s’ arms, but then he understood what ‘A’ was doing. Every inch of this building was probably wired to surveillance cameras. ‘A’ and Kris couldn’t reveal any kind of special relationship between them, for the sake of both of their safeties.

Kris had to swallow hard and force himself to think clearly about what he was doing, what he wanted.

“I-I’m sticking with you. It’s the best bet for getting out of here in one piece.”

‘A’ silently studied him for a moment, and god, Kris had even missed that too.

“If that’s what you wish. Follow close behind me.”

‘A’ turned and swept back into the hallway, and Kris hurried to follow. Kris stayed practically glued to ‘A’s’ back while they moved down the corridors. ‘A’ had produced a handgun from under his cloak in case they ran into reinforcement guards.

They didn’t walk very far. ‘A’ stopped beneath a spot where the ceiling and some of the walls had been blasted away. Kris assumed this had been the first explosion he heard. 

“Here, climb.” ‘A’ stepped to the side to let Kris see the ladder that extended up through the broken ceiling. 

“Me first?” Kris asked. ‘A’ nodded, holding the ladder to steady it for him. 

Kris did as he was told, trusting ‘A’ completely. He began to climb. The ladder was much longer than he expected, and he climbed up through several different floors that had been above him. The explosion had made a crumbling hole that just kept going up and up. ‘A’ was climbing behind him, and rolling the ladder back up behind him as he did so. 

“Keep going, Kris, we’re nearly there,” ‘A’ urged from behind him. Kris almost lost his footing with the thrill when he heard ‘A’ saying his name.

They climbed up farther until Kris began to feel the whisper of fresh wind against his face. He hadn’t had fresh air in days and it felt like a blessing. They clambered up through one more floor before Kris finally saw the night sky shining through the hole in the ceiling above him. Breathing in a deep, heavenly lungful of fresh air, Kris climbed out from the hole ‘A’ had blown in the roof of the prison building. ‘A’ was out and beside him only a moment later, reeling the ladder the rest of the way up and stowing it beneath his cloak.

He immediately turned to Kris, reaching to frame Kris’ shoulders gently between his hands.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice gentle yet with heavy with thinly veiled worry.

Kris practically melted into his touch, leaning in closer when he heard his voice. “Yes, I-I’m fine. You got me out just in time.”

‘A’ let go of him, and Kris immediately mourned the loss of contact, but then ‘A’ was standing up and quickly pulling Kris with him.

“We have to keep moving just a little farther away from here. This building’s wired to blow in five minutes.”

“To blow?” Kris repeated in shock. ‘A’ gripped one of Kris’ hands and began tugging Kris behind him along the rooftop. Kris made his legs move fast enough to keep up.

For a while after that, things just became a blur to Kris. He clutched ‘A’s’ hand tightly and ran after him. He jumped where ‘A’ told him to jump, and let ‘A’ lift him up onto the next step or ledge. Before Kris even really realized where they were going, they were standing on the rooftop a few buildings down from the prison. From here, they could see the smoke rising from the hole ‘A’ had blown in the roof, and the police forces that had gathered around the building, blocking it in.

“I saw to it that the other prisoners had the chance to escape,” ‘A’ said from close beside Kris. When Kris looked over, he saw ‘A’ produce some kind of detonator from a pocket beneath his cloak. 

“5…4…3…2…” ‘A’ was counting aloud, and Kris shuffled in closer to ‘A’ as he neared 0. When he did, Kris understood why ‘A’ had given him that assurance about the other prisoners. When ‘A’ pressed the detonator, an explosion that must have been at least ten times larger than the one that had crushed the roof, went off. When Kris looked up and around, he could see smoke rising from other buildings scattered throughout the city.

“That set off explosives in every prison throughout the city. In all the others, it was just enough destruction to give the prisoners a chance to escape, not to kill anyone. They aren’t even really prisons, you know. They’re holding facilities for my supporters who’ve been arrested, or people like you who they’re trying to extract information from.”

“You had explosives set to go off in all the prisons at the same time?” 

‘A’ nodded. 

It didn’t really matter to Kris whether ‘A’ had already been planning this or he’d done it just for Kris’ sake. All he really cared about was the fact that he was back at ‘A’s’ side. Finally, after weeks of hoping and searching.

Police sirens blared. From their place on the rooftop, they could see flashing police cars rushing to all the different prison sites where smoke still billowed up into the air, even though by now everything was finished. Kris and most of the other people the government had been holding prisoner had escaped, and ‘A’ was beyond their reach. 

From where he was standing at the edge of the rooftop, his dark cloak flapping around him with the wind, ‘A’ lowered his head a little, looking out in the direction of Kris’ apartment building before saying, “I can take you back to your home now. Or maybe it would be safer for you to stay with one of your friends for a while?”

Kris had to bite his tongue against a scream of disapproval that almost burst from him at ‘A’s’ softly spoken statement. After everything Kris had gone through in his searching for ‘A’, that was the last thing he wanted! Kris took a deep breath. A lot had happened to him during these last couple days, but this moment was the most important of all. He knew he had to choose his words carefully, and he couldn’t, couldn’t mess this up. He would never forgive himself if he did.

Kris took a few hesitant steps closer to ‘A’, until they were standing together at the edge of the rooftop. ‘A’ turned his head to look at Kris when he felt the smaller man draw nearer, and Kris looked up into his masked face. He didn’t let himself worry about what ‘A’ would think or how he would react, Kris just looked straight into that masked face and said what he needed to.

“I want to stay with you. Nothing’s been the same since I tried coming back to my life, and I’m starting to think nothing ever will be the same. Please let me stay with you again. I don’t want to go back.”

“Kris…” ‘A’ took a step away from the rooftop and nearer to Kris. He studied Kris’ face for a long time as Kris looked back at him, his sincerity plain in his eyes. “Are you sure?”

Kris’ hands itched to reach out and take ‘A’s’ gloved hands in his own, but he refrained. Instead, he just said, “More sure than I’ve been about anything in a long time.”

“What about your friends? I thought you missed them.”

“I did, and I will, but since I’ve been home, I’ve discovered there are other things I miss more.”

‘A’ fell silent again, and Kris hoped he was smiling under the mask. Kris wished he could reach up and trace his smile with his fingers.

“Things will still be the same, still as boring as they were when you left.”

“With you, it was never boring.” Kris’ own lips curled in a smile. “I can tell you right now, I don’t think anything you say will change my mind.”

“Well, if you’re sure, I don’t mean to question you,” ‘A’ said, amusement and an unmistakable fondness in his voice. He held out a hand to Kris. “Come.”

Kris took his hand, holding on tightly with both of his own.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next and final part will be up by the end of the day! :) Enjoy!

Kris held onto ‘A’s’ hand as he followed him through a dark maze of city streets, back alleys, and rooftops. ‘A’ stopped behind an abandoned train station. Kris couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen lights or any activity at all inside. ‘A’ let go of Kris’ hand to produce a key he opened the hidden back door of the train station with. 

It occurred to Kris that ‘A’ would have no reason to stop here unless this was the way to reach his underground hideout. Kris instinctively shut his eyes tight knowing this was of the utmost secrecy, and remembering ‘A’ asking him to close his eyes last time while ‘A’ guided him back to the surface.

‘A’ went through the small door and took a few steps into the dark building before he realized Kris wasn’t following him. He turned back and saw Kris still standing outside the door his eyes closed and hands held out wordlessly waiting for ‘A’ to guide him. ‘A’ went back to him.

“Open your eyes, Kris,” Kris opened them, but worry was clear on his face. He started to protest, but ‘A’ was quicker. “After what you must have endured for me, the least I can do is repay you with my trust.”

Kris wanted to ask if he was sure, but instead just gave him a soft smile of gratitude.

‘A’ took Kris’ hand again, and Kris followed him inside. ‘A’ locked the door behind them, and they were plunged into darkness.

“Follow me,” came ‘A’s’ voice with a squeeze to Kris’ hand. Kris followed him for a few minutes blindly until his eyes adjusted to the dim light. ‘A’ stopped before a train depot, where the pavement extended over the tracks so, at some long-past time, people could board their trains. ‘A’ jumped down onto the tracks, then reached up to help Kris down after him.

“Be careful you don’t trip on the rails.” Kris nodded, and they linked hands again and started walking down the dark tracks. They walked for about ten minutes before ‘A’ stopped and pulled Kris to the side, off the tracks.

Kris watched as ‘A’ leaned down and gripped the ends of the cross rails. He pulled, and to Kris’ surprise, they lifted up as if they were on a hinge. With the train tracks removed, a passage underneath was revealed. ‘A’ reached out a hand to help Kris in first.

“How do you ever remember this spot?” Kris asked in wonder.

“I replaced the tracks here so they would lift away. I can see they’re a slightly different color, but I don’t think anyone else would.”

‘A’ pulled the tracks back down once they were both inside the passage underneath. They crawled through the passage a short ways before a wall stopped Kris’ progress.

“Push it forward.”

Kris did, and the wall swung forward. Kris was utterly astonished when he crawled out of the passage and found himself standing in the main hallway of ‘A’ home. Kris turned to watch ‘A’ step out after him.

The wall Kris had pushed open was one of the larger paintings on the walls. It opened and closed like a door, completely concealing the passage when it was closed. ‘A’ pushed it back into place, and all signs of their entrance were gone. Kris couldn’t hide the amazement from his face.

“This place was once used for maintenance. I sealed and cemented the entrance that comes from the station, so this is entirely sealed off. I dug the tunnel from under the tracks myself, so I’d be confident no one else could find their way in here.”

“I’d say you definitely succeeded.”

Kris was just smiling, and it was silent for a short while. Then ‘A’ moved a little closer to Kris, and as Kris looked up at him, something subtly shifted in the air between them.

“What made you come back?” ‘A’ asked softly, almost timidly. Kris would never stop being surprised and amazed by the way that, despite all of ‘A’s’ regular courageous heroics, he still tended to be so soft-spoken and demure around Kris.

Kris twiddled his fingers together and averted his gaze just a little, so he was looking in the area of ‘A’s’ chest rather than right into his face.

“I missed it here. Regular day-to-day life just isn’t exciting enough anymore, I guess. I missed this amazing place.” Kris looked around the splendidly decorated hallway and into the living room they were still standing outside of, to all the rare paintings and artwork and outlawed treasures. Then Kris had to look back to ‘A’, finally right into his mask. “I missed you.”

‘A’ made some soft noise amongst his characteristic silence. His head tilted down like he was looking towards the floor. Kris would have done almost anything in that moment to be able to see his face.

Then he finally spoke up, “I must admit, I … missed your presence here too. Things were starting to get lonely again.”

Kris wanted to cling to him and never let go, never leave him again, but he didn’t quite have the courage. Reaching out to him might have been easier if Kris could only see his face.

“How did you know I was being held there?” Kris asked instead.

“I may have been … keeping a watch over you. I saw you at a rally last week…”

“You were there? I went to four different rallies hoping to see you but I never did!”

“You were…looking for me?” ‘A’s’ mask finally tilted upwards again.

Kris grew momentarily shy again. “Well…yes.”

“I saw you at that rally, but I thought since it had been your choice to return to your home, you wouldn’t want me interfering in your life anymore. I wasn’t sure what you were doing at the rallies, but I didn’t think it was looking for me.”

“Did you see me get captured at the last rally?”

“No,…I didn’t. I wasn’t watching that one, but when I checked your apartment and saw you hadn’t returned home, I feared the worst. After that it didn’t take me long to find where you were being held, and plan all the prisons as my next target so they wouldn’t realize I was doing it just to break you out.”

“That…that’s why you were doing it?” Kris asked softly.

“Blowing up the prisons? Yes. It hadn’t been in my plans before.”

“I…I didn’t tell them anything, if that’s what you were worried about. They interrogated and … tortured me, but I didn’t tell them a word about you.”

‘A’ was silent for an extra beat. Then, he moved the slightest bit closer to Kris again. 

“Of course I was concerned about that, but there was another reason too, and that was the reason that I kept thinking about, that kept me up at night…” He reached a gloved hand up slowly and tentatively, to just barely brush his fingertips to Kris’ cheek. Kris’ eyes fluttered in response. ‘A’ murmured, “I just couldn’t bear knowing they were hurting you because of me. I couldn’t bear thinking of you being hurt at all.”

Kris inhaled sharply, reaching up for ‘A’s’ hand, but ‘A’ dropped his hand and moved away again too quickly.

“You must be starving. I could prepare you something to eat, or…you look exhausted, too. Perhaps you just want to rest?”

Kris had to blink a few times and give himself a slight shake to make his brain start working normally again. He was both terribly hungry and tired, but there was something else he was even more in need of.

“How about you go to bed now, and I’ll have something prepared for you when you get up?” ‘A’ suggested, but Kris immediately shook his head.

“I…I don’t want to be away from you,” Kris admitted softly, the need clear in his voice. He’d spent the last weeks away from ‘A’, and he didn’t want to have to spend another minute the same way. “I am really hungry though…” he added shyly.

“Then I’ll just heat up something quickly for you. You go on to the bedroom and get settled, and I promise I’ll be right in.”

“Okay,” Kris nodded. He watched ‘A’ disappear in the direction of the kitchen before Kris started shuffling towards the bedroom. He suddenly realized just how tired he was, and it was overwhelming. 

He practically fell through the doorway of ‘A’s’ bedroom. Taking in the unmade bed with the sheets and blankets all still looking exactly as he’d left them, all the books overflowing from the shelves, stacked on the floor, and even the same pile of books on the nightstand Kris had put there,…Kris was smiling, feeling the kind of relief and contentment he’d been yearning for in the past weeks – the feeling that he was home. 

Kris only had the energy to kick his shoes off before he fell into the bed. The smile was wide on his face and he couldn’t help a little noise of happiness as he pulled the blankets up. 

“Are you asleep already?” ‘A’ asked as he stepped through the door carrying a tray. Kris turned his head to look at him, and the most wonderful kind of familiar, warm affection slammed through Kris, nearly causing him to topple over in his weak, exhausted state. 

‘A’ had taken off his costume. As he came into the room with a tray of food for Kris, his dark hair stuck up in a fluffy, disheveled manner, and his plain black shirt and pants made him look so familiar and inviting, Kris had to fight the urge to reach out and cling to him and just cry over how much he’d missed him and his gratitude that ‘A’ had saved him from the interrogations. It was maybe a little unbelievable, when Kris had first met ‘A’, the face of his mask had terrified Kris. Now, it brought him a kind of comfort and feeling of safety that nothing else could.

‘A’ took a seat at the edge of the bed and placed the tray in Kris’ lap, and Kris had to make an effort to tear his gaze away from him. On the tray was a big bowl of soup with potatoes and vegetables floating in it, and a sandwich. Kris sat up, picked up the spoon that had been placed on the tray, and ravenously dug in. He didn’t have the energy to worry about his manners.

“Don’t eat too fast now,” ‘A’ said, warm amusement in his voice as he reached out to rub Kris’ back while Kris devoured everything in record time. 

“Better?” ‘A’ asked as he took the empty tray from Kris’ lap and set it on the floor. Now that he’d eaten so much, Kris’ eyes were practically sliding closed in utter exhaustion. ‘A’ reached out to steady Kris and settle him back against the pillows. ‘A’ tucked the blankets up around Kris’ half-asleep form, but as soon as he moved to get up from the bed, Kris reached out to grab his arm. 

“No, don’t leave…please…”

‘A’ looked back towards Kris and, after studying him for a minute –the curl of Kris’ fingers in his sleeve, the vulnerability in Kris’ tired eyes -, settled himself back down on the bed. With Kris still holding onto his arm, ‘A’ scooted closer to him. Lying out beside him, ‘A’ gently loosened Kris’ hold on his arm so ‘A’ could drape that arm above Kris’ shoulders. Kris immediately rolled closer against him, nestling down against ‘A’s’ chest. He felt ‘A’s’ arms gently come around him. 

Kris’ hands gripped the fabric of ‘A’s’ shirt tightly. He felt utterly weak and fatigued, but it suddenly seemed his emotions were catching up with him. During the days in his cell, he’d only felt numb. He had felt nothing but his all-consuming determination to not give in. Now the reality and force of everything he’d been put through began to press on him. He knew he was finally safe and protected, but now he was free to dwell on the pain and torture he’d been put through, to relive his terror that he might not be strong enough…

He let out a soft hiccupping sob as he squeezed his eyes shut against the tears rushing up. He heard ‘A’s’ sharp intake of breath from above him.

“Oh, Kris…” Kris heard ‘A’ whisper, and his voice sounded just as broken as Kris felt. His arms tightened, holding Kris close against him. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry all this happened to you…I’m so sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner. I promised I would never let anything happen to you, but I failed…”

“It’s my own fault,” Kris mumbled, trying to hide his tears against ‘A’s’ shirt. “For thinking I could go home and everything would be fine.”

“I should have never let you out of my sight. I should have watched over you more closely.”

“Like you didn’t have loads of better things to be doing,” Kris said in a wobbly, teary voice.

Kris felt ‘A’s’ strong arms tighten, drawing Kris in more closely. 

“Even when they did terrible things to you, when you really had no reason not to, you still didn’t tell them about me. There aren’t many things more important than taking care of someone like that.”

“I guess I was just paying you back, for all the times you’ve saved me.”

“I would certainly say you’ve done so.” Kris lifted his head a little from ‘A’ chest so he could blink the rest of his tears away. “I will forever be indebted to you.” 

Kris scoffed at ‘A’s’ statement and was about to point out how ‘A’ had since saved his life yet again, but ‘A’s’ gentle fingers against his face silenced him. ‘A’ carefully wiped away the tears from Kris’ cheeks. Kris turned his gaze to look up at him while ‘A’s’ gloved fingers swept over his salty skin to brush the remaining tears away.

“You should sleep now, I’m sorry I’ve kept you up this long.” 

Kris gave him a little smile of reassurance before he laid his head back down against ‘A’s’ chest. 

“You’ll stay here? Even while I’m sleeping?”

‘A’s’ arms held Kris tight. Kris could hardly remember ever feeling more warm or safe.

“Even while you’re sleeping.”

 

Kris woke wrapped up in blankets, and with the bed beside him still warm. He had slept deeply for a long time, so it took a few minutes of yawning and groggy blinking of his eyes for him to wake up. As soon as he took in the familiar bed and the room filled with books, a smile spread across his face. He stretched languidly before crawling to the edge of the bed and getting up.

He found ‘A’ in the kitchen. He hadn’t been hard to find, since Kris had been able to hear him humming from the hallway. ‘A’ turned when Kris came into the room, still sleepily rubbing his eyes.

“Ah, he finally awakens.” ‘A’ lifted up a plate of pancakes from the counter and set them down on the table. Kris grinned before hurrying to get utensils and sit down before the beautiful pile of pancakes. 

“I would have stayed with you the whole time, but you slept almost twelve hours, and I can never sleep more than a few hours at a time,” ‘A’ said from where he was leaning against the counter, looking in Kris’ direction.

Kris waved away ‘A’s’ words while he chewed and swallowed a big bite of pancakes. After he managed to swallow, he said, “I couldn’t have expected you to hang around the whole time. Just…thanks for being there while I fell asleep.”

Kris dug into his pancakes again, trying not to think too hard about how, at least for a few hours, he and ‘A’ had slept in the bed together. Kris focused his attention back on gobbling his pancakes. They were without a doubt the best things he’d eaten in a long time.

‘A’ came over to collect the dishes when Kris was done only minutes later and patting his belly in satisfaction. 

“Damn, I really missed those pancakes,” Kris said with a grin.

“I’m glad you enjoyed them.” ‘A’ placed the dishes down in the sink.

Kris stretched again as he stood up from his chair. “I feel pretty gross,” he said, picking at the orange prison garb he was still wearing with a sour expression on his face. “I can’t believe I’m still in this gross thing. Is it okay if I take a shower?”

“Of course, you don’t need to ask, you know where the bathroom is. I’ll find some clothes for you.”

“Thanks,” Kris said, giving ‘A’ a smile before turning to go towards the bathroom.

“Wait a moment.” Kris stopped and turned back as ‘A’ came over to him. He began to speak hesitantly, “I know you would rather not think about your time in the prison, but … there are a few things I need to ask you.”

Kris looked up at ‘A’ straight on, settling and steeling his expression. “What do you need to know?” 

‘A’ seemed to take a deep breath. “What kind of information regarding me were they trying to get? What did they ask you?”

“It seemed like they wanted anything. During the first session, they were asking where your hideout is, who we are, and whether you have help. By the end, they just seemed desperate for me to tell them whatever I could. It still doesn’t seem like they know anything, and you’re still safe.”

“Thanks in no small part to you,” ‘A’ said, and Kris couldn’t help a tiny blushing smile of pride. “One more thing, Kris, and I know this is difficult and I apologize, but … what kind of methods did they use on you? Anything new you weren’t expecting?”

Kris worried his bottom lip with his teeth as he remembered. He had to look at the floor as he spoke, “Electric shocks, water torture,… the only thing that was shocking was the last thing they did, when they were getting desperate. They put some kind of headset on me that seemed to almost scramble my brain. It caused this terrible pain that seemed to drill right through my head. It made it really difficult for me to think straight and remember not to answer their questions. They said they were going to use it again during my last session, and I was so scared I wouldn’t be able to make it through…”

Kris felt gloved fingers nudging at his own, then ‘A’s’ hand was slipping into one of his. Kris looked up into his masked face, suddenly standing right in front of him. ‘A’ squeezed his hand.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize anymore,” Kris said, forcing a small smile. “You saved me, and I’m here with you now.” Kris reached to take ‘A’s’ hand in his other as well. Kris held them both tightly as he gave ‘A’ a better, more natural smile. “That’s all that matters.”

 

When Kris got out of the shower, he found a small pile of clothes set out for him. There was a faded pair of underwear, sweatpants, and a black t shirt. He couldn’t help the tiny fluttering in his stomach as he pulled on ‘A’s’ clothes. 

There was an obvious parallel between now and the last time Kris had stayed in ‘A’s’ home – sleeping in the bedroom the first time, showering and having to borrow clothes – but it was rather incredible how they meant such different things to him. Last time, he had been frightened and uneasy. He knew ‘A’ had gone out of his way to save him, yet Kris still hadn’t known what to make of him. Now, this time Kris couldn’t have been happier to be here. It was the only place he wanted to be. He was no longer scared by ‘A’, but now rather trusted and admired him, and every little thing ‘A’ did for him – sharing his bed with him, lending Kris clothes - made Kris feel close to him and sent pleasant shivers running along Kris’ body. 

Kris couldn’t stop thinking about last night, about what it had felt like to fall asleep wrapped in ‘A’s’ arms. The only way Kris could describe it was: right. 

 

Later, Kris found ‘A’ sitting on the couch in the living room. The television was on in front of him. Kris looked to his usual spot on the other side of the couch, and Kris felt almost silly with how much joy came to him in the familiarity of the moment. Kris went to curl up on his side of the couch.

“What are you watching?”

“Romeo and Juliet. The 1968 version.”

“Never seen it,” Kris murmured.

“Really? That’s a shame. We’re lucky the government hasn’t found reason to ban it.”

Kris was more than content to sit on the couch and become absorbed in the film, but his thoughts kept drifting towards the man on the other end of the sofa. Kris still yearned to be close to him, like the night before. Kris was still craving the feelings of comfort and safety that always seemed to come with his touch. 

After twenty minutes that Kris spent in a fierce internal debate with himself, he started inching closer to ‘A’ on the couch. ‘A’ didn’t seem to notice until Kris was near enough to lay out sideways, stretched out on the couch with his head resting against ‘A’s’ lap. ‘A’ looked down in something like surprise, and at first seemed frozen. Then he moved a hand to Kris’ shoulder, rubbing gently down his arm once before his arm came to rest gently over Kris’ chest. They watched the rest of the film together in silence. 

As the credits rolled an hour later, Kris stretched a little and ‘A’ rubbed his arm again.

“Are you feeling better?” ‘A’ asked him. Kris nodded, and may or may not have snuggled his head a little closer against ‘A’s’ leg.

“It’s amazing the wonders a shower can do.”

“They didn’t … hurt you anywhere, did they?” ‘A’s’ voice sounded hesitant, yet still urgent. “Nowhere that’s still bothering you?”

“No, I feel fine now.” 

Kris let his eyes close, feeling completely relaxed and comfortable.

“Are you hungry? Do you want me to cook you up something?” ‘A’ asked.

Kris shook his head slightly. “No, I think sleep is still what I need most. I hardly slept at all during the last couple days…” He already sounded like he was nodding off.

“Not that I mind you falling asleep here, but wouldn’t you be more comfortable in bed?”

Kris just made a soft humming noise. “…don’t want to move. Too sleepy.”

‘A’ just watched him for a moment, his hand still gently trailing back and forth along Kris’ arm.

He finally asked softly, “Do you want me to carry you?”

Kris smiled a little at the suggestion and, without even opening his eyes, lifted his arms up in a vague affirmative gesture. ‘A’ moved slowly in response, lifting Kris up enough from his lap so he could stand up, and then gently scooping Kris up into his arms. ‘A’ didn’t miss Kris’ soft noise of contentment, or the way Kris’ arms fit naturally up around his neck as ‘A’ carried him to the bedroom.

‘A’ pushed the door open with his shoulder, mindful not to bump Kris’ head on the doorway. He could tell Kris was already half asleep by the time ‘A’ laid him down on the bed. Kris’ arms held him there for a moment, bent over Kris on the bed. Kris sighed softly in his half asleep state as he settled down in the blankets. ‘A’ found himself frozen there above Kris, Kris’ arms still twined around his neck and his own arms propped on either side of Kris, like he’d accidentally made the decision himself to stay hovering there over the bed. Kris squeezed him the slightest bit, his eyes barely blinking open before he sighed in a dreamy voice, “Missed you so much… stay in bed with me?”

‘A’ had to take a sharp breath under his mask, and in that moment he hated the thing a lot more than he usually did, hated how it separated him from Kris. 

“I have a few things to work on…” ‘A’ murmured to him. “I’ll come to bed when I’m done, okay?”

Kris nodded slightly, and then he was really asleep. His arms drew back from ‘A’ as he curled himself up a little on the bed and started softly snoring. ‘A’ pulled back, but only a little. He trailed his fingers once through Kris’ hair

“I missed you too,” he whispered.

Kris seemed to smile a little in his sleep. ‘A’ hoped it was because, even in sleep, Kris knew he was somewhere safe, with someone who cared for him.

He hoped Kris knew.

 

Again, Kris slept for a long time. The days he’d been held in the government prison had taken more out of him than he realized. When he woke, it was almost afternoon. The sheets were wrinkled beside him and Kris gave a sleepy smile, trailing his fingers over the place where ‘A’ must have slept. 

When Kris ventured out from the bedroom, he found ‘A’ perched on the back of the sofa in the living room. He was fully outfitted in his black costume, his brimmed hat on the couch beside him. He was holding a small but lethal-looking knife in his hands and was sharpening it with a small rod.

“ ‘A?’,” Kris asked softly as he came into the room.

‘A’ jumped to his feet as soon as Kris announced his presence. He immediately replaced the knife back in its place under his cloak, putting it out of sight. He stashed the sharpener away in a drawer.

“I’m glad you’re finally up. I was waiting until you woke up… I’m sorry, Kris, I know you probably don’t feel one hundred percent better yet, but I have to go out today. I’d rather not leave you alone so soon, but…”

“It’s fine, I understand you have to,” Kris said with a half smile and a shrug.

“There’s lots of food already prepared in the kitchen. You know you’re free to take whatever you’d like.”

Kris nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be fine.” 

‘A’ moved towards the door, but on his way stopped beside Kris and placed his hands on Kris’ shoulders.

“You’re sure you’ll be alright on your own for a while?”

Kris smiled at him a little and nodded. “Not that I want you to leave or anything, but I promise, you should go and stop worrying about me. I know I’m safe here.”

Kris’ words did seem to reassure ‘A’ somewhat. He patted Kris’ shoulders once before lowering his hands.

“I shouldn’t be too late.”

“Alright,” Kris murmured, reaching out to give one of ‘A’s’ hands a brief squeeze before the other man moved away. When he did, he gave Kris a little wave before slipping from the room. Kris knew he was leaving through that secret passage behind the painting in the hallway, but Kris was amazed by the way ‘A’ failed to make even a single sound hinting to the location of the exit. No wonder Kris had never been able to figure it out.

Then ‘A’ was gone, and Kris found himself alone. He could watch TV or a film, or find a book to read… 

Instead of any of that, Kris felt an urge to explore the apartment again. He had felt rather at home by the end of the time he’d spent there before, but now that he was back after a long while away, he wanted to get reacquainted with the place again. The whole place seemed a lot less of a mystery now that Kris knew the way ‘A’ came in and out, but knowing it could potentially hold secrets about ‘A’ kept Kris constantly curious. 

He walked through all the rooms one by one, running his fingers along the walls and tabletops, examining and poking at all the pieces of art, both beautiful and curious alike. Kris couldn’t help the smile that remained on his face the whole time. He was so happy to be back. He couldn’t believe he had once thought of this place as a prison, or the man who lived here as fearsome. 

Kris stroked the top of the jukebox. He flicked through the songs for a moment until he found ‘A’s’ favorite and started it. As the familiar canned music began to fill the room, Kris was momentarily swept back into his memories of when he and ‘A’ had danced together. It had been one of closest moments they’d shared so far. Kris remembered the feel of ‘A’ hand on his waist, and how completely drawn in he’d been by the man’s intoxicating proximity. If the mask hadn’t been there, acting as a barrier Kris didn’t know how to navigate, he was almost sure he would have kissed ‘A’ in that moment.

Soon after, he found himself in the other small, round room, much like the one holding the jukebox except this one was empty. On one wall hung a large tapestry and the other disguised the entrance to ‘A’ weapons storeroom. Kris didn’t have much interest in going back in there. He remembered vividly how much it had spooked him before to see all those weapons lined up and gleaming.

He had never before touched or tried to move the tapestry, depicting a woman sitting as a desk in the middle of a meadow. It was so beautiful; he wouldn’t want to disturb it. Yet as he stood there looking at it again, he couldn’t help but notice its huge size. It spread over almost a whole quarter of the room’s curved, circular walls, and hung down almost to the floor. If that large painting in the hallway hid the entrance, could this tapestry be hiding something as well?

He carefully lifted up one side of the tapestry, being cautious not to pull it too hard and yank it from the wall. 

Once he’d lifted half of it away from the wall, his eyes widened when he saw it had been hiding a small alcove. The room beyond looked almost like an office, except it was no larger than a closet, with only chair, a small desk scattered with papers and a lamp, and the walls completely covered with drawings and pages of notes that had been pinned up. 

Kris leaned into the small alcove so he could peer at the pages of handwritten scrawl pinned up to the walls. From what we could make out of ‘A’s’ hand writing, they all seemed to be notes concerning his future plans or records of all that he’d uncovered so far regarding the government. Kris looked away, suddenly feeling a lot like he was snooping into a place he perhaps shouldn’t. 

He moved to back out of the small alcove, but something on the wall caught his eye and he had to stop in his tracks. There among all the papers, maps, and notes, a single picture had been taped up among it all. Kris recognized it immediately. It was the photograph from his government ID. 

Kris couldn’t say what it meant that ‘A’ had hung a photo of him, but it did make his chest tingle in a way not wholly unpleasant. Kris couldn’t help staring at it for a while before he left the small alcove with a wide smile unconsciously plastered on his face.

Kris couldn’t think of anything really special about himself. He couldn’t think of anything really remarkable, or anything that would draw the interest of someone like ‘A’ – someone amazing and brave and kind like him. Yet, for one reason or another, somehow Kris was fortunate enough for ‘A’ to care about him. ‘A’ kept going out of his way to protect Kris, kept taking Kris in even though it was probably safer and simpler for him to remain a loner. 

Kris would never forget the first real conversation he’d had with ‘A’ in a dark back alley, after ‘A’ had saved him from being shot by a police officer at that rally so long ago now. He’d said that Kris had remained on his mind since their first brief encounter in the Commerce building, and Kris had been shocked speechless in disbelief. Kris had no idea when ‘A’ had hung the photo, but judging from the fact that ‘A’ had just recently saved him yet again and was still letting Kris live with him, it seemed Kris had somehow managed to keep ‘A’s’ interest. Kris really had no idea how he was pulling it off, but he would go on basking in every second ‘A’ spent caring for him.

 

Kris was curled up with a book in the sitting room when he heard ‘A’s’ returning footsteps in the hallway. Kris lowered his book, puzzled, because ‘A’ normally came and went in silence, unless something was wrong.

“Kris?” he asked as he appeared in the doorway, pulling both the hat and wig from his head in one swift movement. He was leaning against the doorway, looking uncharacteristically weakened.

“What is it?” Kris asked, setting his book aside and sitting up. “Are you alright?”

‘A’ took a few deep breaths, and Kris could see the rise and fall of his chest from halfway across the room. 

“You won’t believe what I saw today.”

“What was it?” Kris scooted over on the sofa he was perched on and patted the spot beside him. “Come in here and sit down. You don’t look comfortable hovering over there in the doorway.”

Kris thought he heard ‘A’ give a soft laugh under his breath as he came to fall back heavily onto the sofa next to Kris. He was silent for a minute as he unfastened his cloak and set it aside. Left in just his characteristic black pants and long sleeve shirt, he leaned forward with his elbows propped against his knees. 

“What is it?” Kris asked softly. ‘A’ was quiet for a moment more before he took a deep breath.

“I was on my way back home, from doing some scouting for my next plans. I didn’t mean to, but I came across a robbery taking place. I saw the police cars screaming down the road, then the thief trying to flee from the store he’d been robbing. He ran down the street with a gun in his hand, firing haphazardly at anyone who crossed his path. He was caught before he got even a block away, but… Kris, he was wearing one of my masks. He put a mask like mine over his face when he went to commit a robbery. I can assume the police knew he wasn’t me, but just the fact that someone would think to do that…”

Kris was silent, not knowing quite what to say as he watched ‘A’ lift a hand to rest over his neck while his throat worked to swallow, like each of the words hurt to speak. 

“Is that all I represent to some people? Just some crook, going around breaking the law without purpose? Is that all I am to them?”

“Only to some who don’t know better,” Kris supplied softly.

‘A’ was silent, resting his hands against his knees and watching them as he curled and uncurled his fingers. “I go to the rallies and watch from the shadows because I have to know how the people are responding to what I’m doing. I need them to understand. They must understand that they have just as much power as the police who abuse and torment them. All I’m trying to do is light the way, to make it clear that one person can stand up and change things, can better this city that’s fallen into such terrible hands.” ‘A’ sat up slightly, straightening his back as he took a deep breath.

The passion and ardency in his voice amazed Kris. He knew ‘A’ must have dedicated years of his life to this aim, and every fiber of his being was devoted to it. He was so incredibly invested in his work; it only made sense that what he had seen today would affect him so.

‘A’ went on, still with feeling but his voice was softer now, “I don’t want chaos or anarchy. The idea of people committing senseless crimes in my name…” His breath hitched and he shook his head. “At some point, I’ll want the people to take the torch from me and take the final steps to liberating themselves, but they should be taking those steps standing against the government, not committing petty crimes against each other.”

‘A’ fell silent, seeming like what he’d seen was still taunting him. Kris swallowed slowly, knowing it was his turn to speak.

“When you first came on the scene, maybe people didn’t know what to make of you. Maybe they were skeptical and scared at first, thinking some guy running around in a mask couldn’t possibly be up to any good. That’s what I thought at first.”

‘A’ turned his head at that, watching Kris as he spoke. Kris felt his cheeks warming in an inadvertent blush. He looked down and made himself go on. 

“I didn’t really understand when I first heard about you. The idea of you was so strange and just seeing pictures of you…you seemed kind of dangerous and a little scary. Then you saved me from the burning Commerce building, and I started witnessing the kind of things you were doing, how it was all for the good of the people. I mean, planting all the flowers to make a memorial for the victims of the bombing, and then saving those kids from that fire last week? How could anyone not support you after that?”

Kris thought he heard the softest laugh come from beneath ‘A’s’ mask. “I promise you, that wasn’t the empty bid for support it might have looked like. I saw the fire burning and realized I was the only one who could get to them.”

“I know,” Kris said with a fond half smile.

The air around them quickly grew serious again, as ‘A’ extended a hand to rest atop one of Kris’ in his lap.

“And now?” he asked softly. “What do you think of me now?”

Kris’ mind almost overflowed with all the things he wanted to say. I think I love you so much it’s all I can think about anymore.

“I think you’re the most brave, generous, and incredible person I’ll ever meet, and you’re the best thing to ever happen to this city. The only people who haven’t realized that yet are the people who don’t understand what you’re doing, or are too afraid of the government to accept what you’re trying to tell them. People like that man today, who don’t understand that you stand for something more, for something noble, they’ll keep seeing the things you’re doing and the reasons for it, and eventually they’ll understand and they will rally behind you.”

Kris turned his hand so his fingers could twist in between ‘A’s’. When ‘A’s’ fingers squeezed his, Kris couldn’t help adding, “And I think you can’t possibly have any idea how glad I am to be back here with you.”

Kris felt the couch shift as ‘A’ moved just the slightest bit nearer, and Kris’ heart fluttered uselessly when he felt ‘A’s’ other hand come to rest near his waist.

“If it’s half as glad as I am to have you back with me, I have some idea.”

Without even thinking about it, Kris shifted closer. It was like ‘A’ had some kind of magnetic pull, drawing Kris in by a force he was helpless against.

Kris could have been happy with that sentiment and this brief, close moment. It would have been enough to play on repeat in his mind while he was falling asleep to make his dreams safe and happy. But Kris remembered seeing that photo of himself, yet another clue pointing towards the incredible possibility that ‘A’ might, to some degree, feel for Kris the same things Kris felt for him.

Remembering the photo, Kris moved even closer and was rewarded by the gentle slide of ‘A’s’ hand further around his waist.

“I think I was starting to go crazy while I was away from you,” Kris murmured.

“What do you mean?” ‘A’ asked in nothing more than a whisper. If not for the mask, Kris thought he would have felt the brush of ‘A’s’ breath in their close proximity. Kris mourned its absence.

“Let me just ask you this…,” Kris started, cracking the tiniest bit of a smile. “I guess you don’t frequent nightclubs?”

‘A’ let out a shallow laugh. “No, I can’t say that I do. I might stand out a bit, if not with my mask, then my dreadful dancing would surely give me away.”

“I seem to remember you weren’t so bad of a dancer.”

“A dance with rules like a waltz is simple. Take away the steps and I would surely make a fool of myself. Why did you ask?”

Kris took a soft breath. He released the hand that had been holding ‘A’s’ and instead reached the small ways forward to rest his fingers in the fabric of ‘A’s’ shirt. ‘A’s’ other hand moved around Kris, his hands now joining around Kris’ back.

“I was still trying my best to get back to my life before, so my friends and I went to this club we used to visit all the time. I didn’t expect that that outing would be what finally made me realize… it doesn’t seem I can ever just go back to the way things were before.”

Kris looked up into the masked face, still he same pale, grinning mask as always. Kris looked directly into the covered eyes before his gaze fell back towards ‘A’s’ chest and he went on.

“So I was there, dancing with some guy I managed to pick up. We were in the middle of the floor. He was tall and pressed up close behind me, his hands were tight around my waist and he was a great dancer with the way he moved against me…” 

Kris wasn’t sure whether or not he imagined ‘A’s’ arms tightening the slightest bit around him. 

“For a few songs, it was great. I was thinking about nothing but the music, and how great it felt to just dance and blow off steam. I wasn’t really paying attention to the people around me, but then I thought…I swear I saw it, your mask in the crowd. I freaked out for a little while, thinking I was delusional, but when I thought back on it later, it kind of made sense.” 

Kris’ gaze finally lifted to ‘A’s’ face again, his eyes lingering on the hard mouth of the mask before they rose towards his eyes. 

“Maybe…my mind was finally making it clear, showing me the face I really wanted to be dancing with, the person I wished had been the one pressed close to me.”

“Kris…” came ‘A’s’ whisper, and Kris could hear it straight from his mouth beneath the mask. They were so close, Kris could hear the rushed in-out of ‘A’s’ heavy breathing beneath his mask. Kris’ fingers were tight in ‘A’s’ shirt, and he suddenly realized ‘A’ had drawn him close in his arms.

Kris couldn’t remember ever experiencing a moment like this, when his heart was pounding against his chest like a bird fighting to be free, and when he knew that every miniscule move he made would matter a lot more than most other things did. Kris closed his eyes as he gave himself over to that all-powerful moment. Not even the mask could stand in the way.

Kris kissed him. That smiling, unmoving mouth of the mask was the only one Kris could reach, and he gripped ‘A’s’ shirt and sealed his lips to it. 

‘A’s’ eyes stayed open beneath the mask, taking in and trying to preserve each moment of perfection flitting across Kris’ face. Maybe his own lips reached unconsciously and uselessly towards Kris’. What he did know without a doubt was that, even in years and years, he had never, ever loathed his mask more than he did in that moment – that moment that could have been one of the most beautiful of his life, had it not been stolen from him by that infernal layer always separating him from this man he cared so deeply for.

When Kris pulled back, his eyes opened slowly and he looked up at ‘A’ as if he were in a daze. ‘A’s’ arms were still tight around him, and the urgency of the moment was still wrapped around them. Kris reached up to place his fingertips against the mask. His thumb traveled slowly over the mouth he had kissed only a few moments before.

“I wish I could kiss your real lips,” Kris murmured, holding on to ‘A’ as tightly and closely as he could. 

Kris’ words made an alarm sound in the distant back of ‘A’s’ mind, but Kris’ soft voice and breathing and the feel of Kris so close in his arms overpowered everything. ‘A’ just held him tighter.

His face and mouth still only inches from ‘A’s’, Kris trailed his fingers up along the side of the mask. Something deep and inexplicably desperate in ‘A’ yearned to feel that soft touch, yet the mask kept him from feeling any of it – the caress of Kris’ fingers or the press of his mouth.

“I wish I could know what color your eyes are…” 

Kris’ fingers moved easily and automatically along ‘A’s’ mask, doing only what felt right in that powerful moment and not really stopping to think. His fingers gripped the edge of ‘A’s’ mask. 

The instant Kris started to move the mask, ‘A’ panicked, and he leaped up from the sofa so suddenly, Kris fell to the floor. His mask still safely secured, ‘A’s’ hands reached out automatically towards Kris who was sprawled on the floor looking like he was waking up from a dream. Then when clarity rushed in, Kris looked up at him with anxiety and guilt and dozens of other difficult things in his eyes. ‘A’ didn’t know what to do.

“I’m sorry,” ‘A’ said in a quick, hushed voice before turning and rushing from the room.

As soon as it registered that ‘A’ was fleeing from him, Kris called out his own apology. 

Once he’d pulled himself back up onto the sofa, Kris buried his face in his hands with a sigh. How could he have so thoughtlessly ruined that moment? Of course ‘A’ would have to be the one to decide when, if ever, he wanted Kris to see his face. Kris knew he really hadn’t been thinking at all when he’d tried to remove ‘A’s’ mask, and he felt horribly angry with himself. 

He couldn’t believe he’d just kissed ‘A’ like that… Now he could be sure his feelings were clear, but at what cost? Would ‘A’ still be able to treat him the same? Would he…want to get rid of Kris? After that moment of stupidity, what if he thought Kris had been planning it and was just intent on seeing ‘A’s’ face? 

Kris covered his face with a groan. One minute of not thinking straight and he’d created such a mess. It had just been so hard to think straight, with the heat of ‘A’s’ body so close and his strong arms around him. His mind had felt frazzled and useless, much like what that headset in the government prison had done…except this feeling had been the polar opposite version. Instead of pain, his exhilaration and excitement had been what kept his brain from functioning right. After being away from ‘A’ for so long, after missing and yearning for him, it was hard for Kris to do anything but always want to be closer, closer, and closer to him.

Kris knew he had to remember, though, that this relationship with ‘A’ wasn’t exactly normal or conventional. Showing Kris his face came down to a lot more than just Kris’ curiosity. No one had seen his face, and if someone did, that knowledge was what the government would do anything and everything to obtain. ‘A’ could be endangering himself and threatening all he’d worked for if he showed his face to anyone.

Kris cursed himself silently. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten all that in those few minutes of heated proximity. He stood up from the sofa and slowly went to look around the hallway. There was no sign of ‘A’. Kris frowned, he must have retreated into one of the rooms, or maybe he’d left altogether. Kris didn’t go searching for him. He thought it would be a better idea to give him space. 

Kris wanted to fix this. He wanted to make sure ‘A’ knew Kris understood all the complications around them. Being back together with ‘A’ and having these intimate moments with him were wonderful beyond words to Kris, but he would never want to thoughtlessly rush into them if it meant endangering the entire partnership they had developed.

Kris went into the kitchen and started looking through the cabinets. He thought he would start making dinner for both of them, and when ‘A’ eventually came back, they could talk over dinner like they used to. He was glad when he found all the ingredients for his favorite vegetable stir fry dish. 

Yet as he heated a frying pan and sliced peppers and tomatoes and all the vegetables he could find, he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened…or, what had almost happened.

It had almost been like the dreams he used to have, the ones that had terrified him while he’d been home, where ‘A’ would come into the room and kiss Kris with the lips of his mask, and when Kris tore ‘A’s’ mask away, there would be nothing underneath. Kris knew without a doubt that he loved ‘A’ stronger than he’d ever felt anything, but the unknown of what was under his mask was the only thing about him that still made Kris anxious. What if the reason ‘A’ had so suddenly pulled away from him today had nothing to do with protecting his identity, but was rather because his face was so horrific and terrible that he knew Kris would be repulsed? ‘A’ had once said the reason he always kept the mask on was to hide his face from all eyes, even his own.

Even still, Kris had a hard time imagining he could ever be so thoroughly revolted that he would want to leave. He couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be anywhere other than with ‘A’. He tried to imagine the worst that could be hidden beneath ‘A’s’ mask. What if he was missing an eye? Or a nose? What if his entire face was scorched and puckered like his hands? Letting all the awful possibilities run through his mind made Kris’ hand tighten around the handle of the knife he was using. He didn’t feel disgusted imagining ‘A’ removing his mask and seeing such things beneath. Instead, imagining them only made Kris feel angry that someone or something had hurt him so terribly.

“Kris?” came ‘A’s’ voice suddenly. Kris jumped in surprise and ‘A’ hurried farther into the room. He placed a gloved hand against Kris’ arm. “I’m sorry, I always do that.”

“It’s okay,” Kris said with a little smile. Then, remnants of what had happened only a short while ago seemed to trickle back into the world around them, and ‘A’ pulled his hand back and moved a few steps away. Kris set down what he’d been working on and wiped his hands. 

“Kris, about earlier,…I’m so-..”

As soon as Kris realized ‘A’ was about to apologize, he stepped forward to place his hand over the mouth of ‘A’s’ mask to stop him.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Kris said firmly. “I’m sorry. It was thoughtless of me to do that, and it wasn’t fair to you. Of course you were going to stop me, as you should have. This mask means a lot more, it’s a lot bigger than just you and me, and I understand that.”

Kris smiled at him and moved his hand from ‘A’s’ mouth in favor of stroking his fingers gently along the side of ‘A’s’ mask, taking care just to use his fingertips and not let them get too close to the edge of the mask.

“It’s okay with me if you never take this off. I already know I care about you a whole lot with the mask, and that’s not going to change.”

Kris heard ‘A’ let out a rush of breath, then one of ‘A’s’ arms came to lightly encircle him, and Kris would never get tired of that feeling. 

“Oh Kris, you deserve better,” ‘A’ sighed. He reached up a gloved hand to cover Kris’ against his mask. “You deserve someone who can be honest and give you one hundred percent of himself, always.”

“I’d say you do that, when you keep being silly and risking capture again and again to save me. I think that counts a lot more than the presence of this little thing,” Kris said, stroking his thumb against the white mask.

“Kris…,” ‘A’ murmured his name again, and Kris would never tire of the way ‘A’ said it, almost like it was a prayer he spoke as lovingly as he could. Kris leaned in closer, and both of ‘A’s’ arms moved around him.

Then the pan Kris had left on the stove started to sizzle as it bubbled over. Kris laughed a little at himself as he pulled away to tend to it.

“You’re cooking?” 

“Mmhm,” Kris nodded. “Vegetable stir fry.”

“I seem to remember that was your specialty.”

“Something like that,” Kris said as he pushed the sliced vegetables from the cutting board into the frying pan. 

“It smells wonderful.”

“Good. It’ll be done soon, if you want to set the table and get stuff ready, and you better believe you’re setting the table longwise so we can eat at the same time.”

“If you insist,” ‘A’ conceded, and Kris could hear the smile in his voice.

 

After enjoying the dinner Kris had prepared, they set about cleaning the kitchen together. ‘A’ was wiping down the table and the counters while Kris had a towel in his hand, drying the dishes. 

“ ‘A’?” 

“Yes?”

Kris chewed his bottom lip for a moment before saying, “Back while I was home...you made that broadcast about the prime minister. Did you mean what you said?”

‘A’ moved beside Kris, helping him dry rest of the dishes. “Every word of it.”

“You’re really going to try taking the prime minister from power?”

“Eventually, that’s the goal, yes. He is the root of everything wrong in this city. Nothing can really change until he’s gone.”

“It seems impossible. No one knows where he lives. He never makes public appearances, only speeches on TV. How could you ever even get the chance to reach him?”

“That’s what I’ve been working on, investigating for a long time now. No matter how foolproof his security or elusive he is, he’s just a man. I’ll find a way to get to him.”

Kris’ hands stilled for a moment on the plate he’d been drying. He bit the inside of his lip. “I got scared, when I heard what you were saying,” Kris admitted softly. “Making it clear you’re going after him…there’s nothing more dangerous. I was afraid for you. I still am.”

“Hey, I’ve survived unscathed so far. Well…perhaps unscathed isn’t the proper term, but I’ve survived, and I can promise you I’ll still be surviving for a while yet.” Kris still hadn’t started drying again, in favor of just listening to ‘A’ continue to speak while he kept lifting up glasses and plates and drying them off before neatly stacking them. “Besides, all the work I’ve done so far has all been leading to this goal. My purpose has always been to weaken the government, and therefore the prime minister’s power, and along the way to expose the injustices wrought by the government. That way, when I finally get my hands on the prime minister, the people will understand the extent of what he’s done and they’ll be ready for the tides of change that will come from the prime minister’s removal.”

At first, the confidence in ‘A’s’ voice made Kris feel reassured. ‘A’ knew what he was doing, and the chances were slim of him ever being captured. Yet as he went on, Kris found himself feeling anxiety of a different kind. Hearing ‘A’ speak about his work, it was clear with the vigor in his words that these plans were his entire life. Kris knew ‘A’ would do whatever it took to ensure his goals succeeded, but Kris worried how much he would sacrifice, if it ever came to that.

“Speaking of all this…,” ‘A’ set down the final plate before he turned towards Kris, and Kris finally looked up at him. Kris tried to pull his thoughts from the depths they’d sunken into. “I need to tell you, the time for my next exploit is just about here, and I’m afraid this one will keep me out for several days.”

“Days?” Kris echoed, frowning automatically.

‘A’ nodded. “The next blow I plan to deal is the destruction of the mint. It helps the government keep control over the people through increased printing and inflation. When the people start getting too rowdy or unhappy, the government can bloat the economy with as much new money as they want, and soon people will be distracted just trying to survive. It’s an important asset to the government and obviously heavily guarded. It won’t be as simple as sneaking explosives in. That’s why this will take me longer.” 

“What’s your plan?” Kris asked.

“I have to work from the inside, get influence over the higher ups until I can force them to bend my way. It won’t be too difficult, as long as things work out the way they have in my mind.” To Kris’ apprehensive expression, ‘A’ added, “They usually do.”

Kris bit back all the protests that wanted to come bubbling out. He knew his personal fears and concern for ‘A’ had to take a back seat to ‘A’ carrying out his plans.

“When do you have to go?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

Kris sucked in a breath. “Didn’t give me much notice.”

“I’m sorry. I only just worked it out that I need to begin tomorrow.”

Past the apprehension filling his mind like fog, Kris’ brain caught up with the things his mouth was saying and he suddenly had to smile and shake his head at himself a little.

“No, I’m sorry. Listen to me, talking like I’m your goddamn wife or something. Of course you’re going to come and go whenever you need to and do whatever you have to. Having me here doesn’t change anything.”

“It does, Kris. It changes things here, inside, but out there everything’s still as terrible as always, no matter how much life in here has brightened.”

Kris’ smile widened a bit. “Then, if you’re going to be gone the next couple days, you’ll sleep in the bedroom with me tonight, won’t you?”

‘A’ watched him for a moment, as always, and Kris just stood still with that same unaffected smile on his face.

“If it pleases you.”

That night, Kris did fall asleep with ‘A’s’ warmth beside him. When he awoke the next morning, ‘A’ was already gone.

Kris was already biting his nails when he got up from bed, uneasy concern gnawing at him. He went straight for the TV in the living room and turned on the news. He fixed himself breakfast and came right back to camp out in front of the TV. He was both anticipating and dreading when a report would start about ‘A’s’ attack on the mint. His nerves were just about ready to bubble over when news coverage finally began. Kris turned up the volume when a newsperson began to tell about the breaking news story.

“Just hours ago, the wanted criminal known as ‘A’ began perpetrating another crime against this city and its people. He has infiltrated the city’s mint building. All of the workers at the mint were able to escape the building before it was closed down and locked from the inside by ‘A’. Still believed to be trapped inside are three high-ranking government workers in charge of running the mint. Police rushed to the scene immediately, and as we speak are working to override the mint’s security fortifications and rescue ‘A’s’ prisoners before the terrorist has a chance to put any of his heinous plans into motion. We will keep you up to date as the situation changes.”

Kris already knew he wouldn’t be able to move from in front of the TV until all this was over. As long as ‘A’ was out there and in danger, Kris wouldn’t be able to think about anything but him. Kris just wished fervently that there were something more he could do rather than just sit around worrying. 

The regular news broadcast was interrupted again an hour later. The screen was taken over by static, and Kris sat up ramrod straight where he’d been sprawled on the couch.

When the screen came back into view, it was a grainy video that was being moved around too much to see anything, like it was being filmed from a handheld camera. ‘A’ was visible for only a brief second, seeming to be the person holding the camera, before it was set down and the video stilled. In line of view from the camera were three men in suits, gagged and tied down in chairs. For a minute, they were the only thing visible, eyes wide and struggling in their chairs. 

Then ‘A’ came and moved behind them, coming into the camera’s line of sight.

“Good day, my fellow citizens. I realize this must be a shocking sight, but if you give me just a few minutes of your time, I will explain exactly why I have targeted this building and these three men in particular. My desire is only to enlighten you all with the truths about our city and government, and through the mint’s access to emergency broadcast channels in event of thievery or disaster, I’ve been granted another chance to do so.”

“First, allow me to introduce you all to the three men who run this mint.” ‘A’ stepped closer to the three men in chairs, moving behind the first chair and placing one hand on the shoulder of the man in it. He seemed to visibly tremble. 

“This is Mr. Roberts, the president and director of all that goes on here. He has the last word in any of the mint’s actions.”

‘A’ moved to the second chair, and the second man cowered in much the same way as the first.

“This is Mr. Patterson, the overseer. He’s in charge of workflow and all the employees. He controls their workdays, hours, and wages.”

He moved to the third chair. “This is Mr. Parker, whose job is a little less simple. He determines what the mint needs to do. He collects information about the economy and consumer habits, and concludes what the mint should do in response to them.”

“Now, do these faces look familiar at all? They should, they’ve all been in places of power before. In fact, all three of these men were top-ranking officials or governors either before or after our prime minister rose to power. What do they all have in common? All three committed embezzlement, and what was our prime minister’s response? What was the recourse for these three crooks? They were put in charge of all of our financial livelihoods. Just from this fact alone, I’m sure you all can tell the things I am about to reveal about this mint’s operation will be rather unsavory. I’m afraid the story gets much, much worse.

“Now, if any of these three men wish at any time for me to stop revealing the nature of this building’s operations, they need only stomp their feet on their floor in signal that they are ready to do as I have asked of them, which is to key in the code that will initiate the self-destruction of this building. Or, if the prime minister himself wishes me to stop, he may contact me any time on the private emergency channel I have left open. He may give me the self-destruction code. Of course, I will release these men before the destruction begins. There will be no casualties.

“Now, let me begin with this building’s true purpose.”

 

‘A’ talked and talked and talked. Each new secret he exposed grew more and more shocking. The operation of the mint had never been for any purpose other than to control the people and keep them weak. No citizens would ever rise to the upper class; none would ever have the resources to challenge the political powers. It was utter villainy, and even Kris found himself growing increasingly riled up and outraged.

There was no way the government would let him go on endlessly, as all the things he revealed just grew more and more toxic to their hold on power. The police were probably ramming at the mint’s doors with every piece of artillery they could find, trying to get inside and stop ‘A’, but he was unreachable from the inside. In lockdown mode, the mint was completely armored and fortified. ‘A’ had turned their greatest defense against them.

The men in the chairs grew increasingly blue-faced as they made noise around their gags, trying to stop ‘A’ from revealing things they knew would make the public want to tear them to pieces. Yet none of them had stomped their feet so far in the signal that they were ready to cooperate with the mint’s destruction. Kris didn’t think they would hold on for much longer. He thought even the prime minister himself must be in a frenzy, watching from wherever he was. All these unearthed secrets were harming him most of all. Maybe he would be the one to give in first.

Finally, almost two hours later (Kris hadn’t been able to budge from the couch for even a minute), one of the men finally stomped his foot. It was the middle one, Patterson. ‘A’ paused from where he’d been speaking to the camera. He went over to stand in front of the man’s chair.

“Are you ready to cooperate?”

The man nodded feverishly.

“Now, you understand, I’m going to untie you and lead you to the control panel, where you will do nothing but enter the self-destruction code. Don’t even think about trying anything else. Remember I have plenty of weapons hidden on my person. Once you’ve entered the code, I will release your two co-workers. If you move quickly, you’ll all make it to the emergency exit. Do you understand?”

The man nodded again, looking near tears. ‘A’ kneeled down to begin untying his bonds.

His heart pounding, Kris crawled forward to sit right in front of the TV. ‘A’ was so close, he was so close to succeeding and finally getting out of there, but there was so much that could go wrong beforehand…

Once he was untied, ‘A’ lifted Patterson from the chair, one hand securing his arms behind his back and the other guiding him by the back of his neck. In front of the camera, Kris and the entire city watched ‘A’ lead him to the control panel.

“The self-destruction code,” ‘A’ ordered in a low voice not to be trifled with. He released one of Patterson’s arms. 

The man only seemed to consider resisting for a few brief seconds. Then, he visibly resigned himself to ‘A’s’ demands. With a trembling hand, he slowly punched in a long string of numbers. As soon as he was finished, a five minute countdown appeared on the monitor screen and an automated voice sounded.

“Five minutes until emergency demolition.”

As soon as the automated voice began repeating the warning, ‘A’ pushed Patterson towards a door beneath a sign that had begun blinking, reading ‘Emergency Exit’. While Patterson scurried to safety, ‘A’ moved back to untie the two others, who were struggling and making noise around the gags. As soon as they were released, ‘A’ pushed them to the exit as well. They both took off immediately.

Then ‘A’ came back over to the camera, lifting it so he could speak directly into it.

“Thank you for your attention, my fellow citizens. It is thanks to all of you that this has been accomplished. Never underestimate the power and importance of each of you. Now I must bid farewell.”

Kris found himself instinctively moving closer to the screen seconds before ‘A’ shut the camera off and the screen returned to static. 

“ ‘A’…,” Kris felt he might be sick from how frightened and worried he was. ‘A’ had less than five minutes to escape the building, and the outside would be absolutely mobbed by police. Kris closed his eyes and curled up tightly, holding his breath. He knew that up above him, on ground level, some of ‘A’s’ most vital and dangerous minutes were taking place. Kris prayed and hoped and pleaded with everything in him that ‘A’ would escape safely. 

Kris looked up when the news broadcast filtered back in to panicked, shouting voices. The screen showed the outside of the mint, where police were still trying to hold a blockade around the building soon to blow while people ran away from it. It seemed this news camera hadn’t planned on being put back on the air, seeing as there were no newspeople in sight to try to take control of how viewers saw the scene of chaos outside the mint. 

Through the crowd of people, the three men whom ‘A’ had kept inside could be seen running out of the building. They barely made it to the police blockade before all three were shot – Patterson, the one who’d input the code, was killed first.

Kris’ eyes darted frantically back and forth across the screen, searching desperately for any glimpse of ‘A’. 

“Back up! Back up! It’s going to blow in ten seconds!” A voice commanded, finally sending the police running back and breaking ranks.

The first blast came, followed by two more. The sound was crushing, kicking dust and smoke up in all directions and almost completely concealing the sight of the mint slowly crumbling.

“Watch out! Don’t let him escape through the smoke!” the same voice commanded.

As the dust rolled nearer to the camera, it grew increasingly difficult for Kris to see what was going on. He could still hear though, could still hear the police shouting to each other and the crashing sounds of the mint collapsing.

Then a commotion started in the smoke a little ways off screen. Kris could hear the police shouting to each other.

“Don’t let him get away!”

“Secure him!”

“Don’t lose him in the smoke!”

Just those few intelligible snippets among the mess of noise and voices made Kris’ heart pound in his chest. Kris wanted to climb into the screen, as if it may be able to transport him to the surface where he could aid ‘A’.

The screen suddenly went dark. The camera had been turned off. Kris shouted in his distress, lurching closer to the black screen. Now he had no idea what was happening.

He grabbed for the remote and quickly flicked through the channels, checking to see if the government was broadcasting on any others. Kris found nothing. He went back to the news channel and sat there in front of the blank screen, curled up tightly and anxiously chewing on his nails. He had known waiting here for ‘A’ to return wouldn’t be pleasant, but he could never have expected this overwhelming, debilitating stress. He had never felt anything like this - incapacitating fear that made it hard to breathe and impossible to think of anything else – for the sake of another person.

“He’ll come back,” Kris barely managed to murmur to himself from where his head was buried beneath his arms. “He’ll be fine. He’ll come back, he has to.”

A half hour later, Kris had taken to walking through the rooms of the underground apartment. He kept walking back through the living room to check if the news broadcast had resumed, and each time he found the screen still torturously black he would pace back into the hallway, biting his nails and muttering nervously to himself.

Two hours later and with soreness beginning in his feet, Kris finally saw the news channel reawaken. He gasped and dove onto the couch for the remote, immediately turning the volume up. 

“Today was a disastrous day for all living in our city,” the newswoman was speaking grimly, “Yet it rightly proved to be most catastrophic for the man who caused all of this death and destruction. After years spent spreading fear and disaster among our city, the criminal known as ‘A’ had finally been stopped. See this footage taken by police cameras outside the mint today.”

Kris couldn’t breathe. He felt his heart had stilled and frozen in his chest as the police footage began to roll.

At first, nothing was visible through the dark smoke. Kris recognized the scene; this was minutes after the mint had blown up, as police did their best to hold a perimeter around the building to halt the perpetrator’s escape. There were dozens of police visible in the cloud of smoke. Moments later, ‘A’ appeared through the dust. With the thick smoke obscuring view of anything beyond a few feet, ‘A’ moved straight into a huge group of police. Gunfire flashed through the smoke, but it was impossible to tell who was firing at whom. Police surrounded ‘A’.

The footage skipped forward to a street beyond the curtain of smoke. There was a police van with its back doors opened and a group of six police were pushing ‘A’ towards it. While ‘A’ appeared calm and not to be struggling, it clearly took two policemen to keep his arms behind his back and another to push him forward. Once fitted inside the van, his hands were secured in cuffs that were fastened to the wall of the van. Kris had plenty of time to absorb the sight of ‘A’ cuffed in the back of a police van before the doors were shut, and the footage stopped. 

The newswoman reappeared and began speaking about the heroics of the police force, the incredible blessing that the heinous terrorist and murderer had finally been captured, and Kris couldn’t listen anymore. He shut off the TV just as she was talking about the celebrations happening throughout the city. Kris knew she was lying. No one would feel anything but despair at ‘A’s’ capture.

Kris felt utterly at a loss. He had no idea what to do.

He went to the bedroom. He opened the drawers and pulled out one of the black shirts he saw ‘A’ wear frequently. He curled up in bed, clutching the shirt close. He cried until his tears soaked through it.

 

Kris woke up feeling just as hopeless. What was the purpose in anything? ‘A’ wasn’t here to cook him breakfast. Kris didn’t have anyone to think about cooking lunch or dinner for. There was no one to ask what books he should read next, and no one to watch movies with. There was no one to make him happy.

As Kris lay in bed, his mind was tortured by ideas of all the things they might be doing to ‘A’ now. Maybe they had put him to death immediately…

Kris knew he had to get up and stop entertaining these thoughts. He couldn’t bear any more. He forced himself into the kitchen to eat something. He knew ‘A’ wouldn’t want him starving himself.

While he waited for his eggs to cook, Kris’ numbed mind slowly began to work, started reaching for the hope it felt obligated to supply Kris with. Maybe ‘A’ escaped… If he had eluded capture by the police for so long, perhaps it wouldn’t be too difficult for him to escape their arrest. If anyone could, it would be him without a doubt. 

Kris wasn’t sure if holding onto this sliver of hope was good for him, or whether it would just hurt him more down the road.

Kris slowly chewed his breakfast of eggs and toast, though he didn’t taste much. Once he was done, he was once again overwhelmed by the feeling that he just had no idea what to do. He couldn’t help giving into the helplessness for just a few minutes, resting his head down on the table and burying it beneath his arms.

What would become of him here if ‘A’ would never be able to come back? He couldn’t live here alone, it felt so deeply wrong. Then again, how could he just go and leave? When so much of him belonged here?

Certain he would soon drown beneath all these painful questions, Kris lifted his head with a shaky, barely managed deep breath. 

One thing at a time. He would figure out what to do one thing at a time. The next thing he had to do was clean his dishes and put them away. Kris carried them to the sink and started slowly washing them. He missed ‘A’s’ company beside him to do the drying, missed his voice complimenting Kris’ cooking or asking him about his day or telling Kris about his own. 

Kris finished too quickly, and then he was back in that same miserable, directionless place. 

Clean, that’s what he should do. It was helpful and it would keep him busy at least for a little while. He scrubbed and polished the kitchen counters and table. He dusted the living and the sitting rooms. He cleaned the toilet and the mirror in the bathroom. He did everything he could think of until his stomach started rumbling again. He shuffled back to the kitchen to fix himself something. He knew deep down, though, that he would still feel just as empty after he ate. 

Kris heated up some soup he found in the refrigerator. He let his mind go numb and focus on nothing but the swirls of his wooden spoon in the soup pot. 

He was just turning down the burner and taking the pot off the heat when he heard it. There was a loud creaking sound from the hallway, then a sound like something being dragged. The thump of that painting hitting the wall as it was swung open. Kris dropped his spoon. He dashed for the hallway.

As soon as Kris rounded the corner, he saw him. ‘A’ was in the middle of pulling himself through the exit of the passage behind the painting. He looked weak, like he could barely stand. Kris would have run to him all the same if he were able-bodied.

“ ‘A’!” Kris cried, rushing forward and throwing his arms around him.

“Kris…” ‘A’ choked as Kris helped him into the hallway, Kris’ arms securely around him. “I almost didn’t make it… Kris, I’m shot…”

“What?” Kris demanded, panicked. He jolted back only the slightest bit, his eyes jumping up and down ‘A’s’ taller form. Then he saw the angry red stain that had long been soaking through his pant leg, just below his right knee.

“I don’t know if I can walk any further…,” ‘A’ gasped, his voice pain-ridden. “I had to run on it all the way here.”

“It’s okay,” Kris soothed, trying to slow his sprinting heart so he could give ‘A’ the help he needed. “I’ll help you, it’s okay.”

Kris pulled one of ‘A’s’ arms over his own shoulders and wrapped his arm tightly around ‘A’s’ torso. He took ‘A’s’ weight while he slowly helped him to the living room. 

“Just lie down on the couch, get off your feet and I’ll look at your wound.”

Kris helped slowly lower ‘A’ onto the couch. He scurried around the room to gather a pile of pillows which he propped under ‘A’s’ injured leg. ‘A’ reached down to start rolling up his pant leg so the wound would be visible. He was still gasping in quaking breaths from the pain and exertion; His hands shook and fumbled with his pant leg.

“Let me,” Kris said, gently pushing ‘A’s’ hands away so he could finish rolling up the pant leg to the knee. Kris had to bite back a gasp when the terrible wound came into view. Dark red blood was smeared all along his leg while plenty of fresh red bubbled and rushed from the deep bullet wound.

“I think the bullet passed all the way through, which is good,” ‘A’ bit out, “I’m going to need you to get the first aid kit, to sanitize it and wrap it.”

Kris nodded, hurrying off right away to retrieve the first aid kid. ‘A’ had used to tend to Kris’ injury when he’d first come here. It was sure as hell time for Kris to repay him.

Opening the kit and spreading out the contents on the small table in front of the sofa, Kris asked, “I should use the alcohol, right?”

“Yeah. Just pour it on there straight, my dirty pant leg was rubbing against it the whole time.”

Kris uncapped the bottle and sat himself at ‘A’s’ feet. He cast a quick doubtful look towards ‘A’s’ face, and the other man nodded grimly.

After using a gauze pad to dab away most of the excess blood, Kris carefully began pouring the alcohol little by little across the bullet wound. ‘A’ hissed, but Kris dabbed at the wound before disinfecting it some more.

“Almost done, I’m almost done,” Kris chanted again and again, vaguely surprised that he was suddenly near tears himself while ‘A’ made muffled sounds of pain. Kris gathered up more cloth and gauze and wiped away all the blood that had trickled down ‘A’s’ leg. “It’s alright, I’m going to wrap it soon and we’ll be done.”

So much blood had already leaked from the gaping bullet hole; Kris pressed a few thick gauze pads against it to try to stem the bleeding. He picked up the roll of gauze and began winding it around ‘A’ leg, laying more gauze pads between the first few layers. Once ‘A’s’ leg was thickly bandaged, Kris secured the gauze with tape.

“There, that should stop some of the bleeding. I’ll have to change it again soon, though.”

‘A’ nodded, looking down to inspect his leg.

“Thank you, Kris. I don’t think I could have done that without your help.”

“Of course, and you’ve done the same for me.”

After managing a brief smile, Kris reached up to grasp ‘A’s’ hand, a somber expression on his face. 

“What happened?” Kris murmured. “How did you get away? I was here,…I had no idea what to do…” Kris’ voice cracked on the last word. ‘A’ squeezed his hand.

“They got me in the back of a police van, out of the chaos from the smoke. I imagine they probably showed that on TV, so they could gloat.” Kris nodded a little. He would never forget that awful sight. “They drove me in the van for a while, taking me to some high-security prison, although I knew no matter where they were taking me, I wouldn’t be there for long. They would surely have me shot at the earliest convenience. 

“So I knew my only real chance was when they took me out of the van. I managed to get free from the shackles and get out knives I had hidden on me. When they opened the door to get me out, I fought like I never have before. Just when it seemed I was going to get away, the bullet hit my leg, but I couldn’t let it stop me. I had to run halfway across the city on my leg, knowing the pain was nothing compared to what they would do if they caught me.”

By now, Kris was tightly squeezing ‘A’s’ hand and had to bite his bottom lip hard to keep from letting his emotions get the best of him. ‘A’ was back. He had escaped. He was alright, and that meant Kris was too.

“Are you hungry?” Kris finally asked, his voice cracking just the slightest bit. “I was making soup, right before you came?”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” Kris gave ‘A’s’ hand one more light squeeze before he got up and went to the kitchen. He spooned out two bowls of soup and set them on a tray. He poured a big glass of water, got out a roll, and neatly set out silverware for ‘A’ on the tray before he carried it back to the living room. He carefully slid the tray into ‘A’s’ lap, picking up his own bowl and sitting down by ‘A’s’ feet.

“Thank you, Kris,” ‘A’ said softly while he picked up the spoon. “I really don’t know how I would be managing if you weren’t here.”

Kris may have blushed the slightest bit, but he shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just tell me if there’s anything else you need.”

Once they were finished, Kris gathered their dishes and put them away in the kitchen before coming back to sit on the couch beside ‘A’.

“You were gone all last night, you’re probably tired. Do you want to rest?” Kris asked him.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking, actually.”

“Do you want me to help you to the bedroom?”

“That’s alright, I’ll stay right here. I don’t want to be putting any more weight on my leg.”

Kris nodded and rose to his feet. “Right, I’ll leave you alone then.”

As soon as Kris moved to leave, ‘A’s’ arm came up and caught Kris’ wrist. Kris paused, turning back to look at him with a questioning expression.

“I was hoping…you’d stay?”

Kris couldn’t help his wobbly, happy smile as ‘A’ echoed the same entreaty Kris had asked of him when he’d escaped his own government imprisonment.

“Of course. Will you mind if I put the TV on, though?”

‘A’ shook his head. Kris took his seat again near ‘A’s’ feet.

It was quiet for a few moments. Kris was just reaching for the TV remote when ‘A’ spoke again.

“Kris, could I ask one more thing of you?” Kris looked towards him, nodding. “Could I maybe…would it be alright if I…rest my head in your lap?”

Kris blinked, surprised by the question, then thrilled by it.

“I’d love that,” Kris answered, smiling. He stood up so he could move to sit near ‘A’s’ head instead. “Let me grab a blanket for you before you get settled.” He quickly went to retrieve a blanket from a closet in the hallway. Kris unfolded it and spread it over ‘A’, making sure only his injured leg was sticking out. Then ‘A’ moved to sit up, so Kris could slide in behind him. Kris smiled at the contented sigh that came from ‘A’ as he lay back again.

“That’s much better,” ‘A’ said softly, and Kris nodded in agreement. Kris gently pulled ‘A’s’ wig off his head and set it on the table, that way Kris could smooth his fingers through ‘A’ soft, natural hair. He felt ‘A’s’ body relax more against his legs, his head tipping back further into Kris’ lap. ‘A’s’ hair felt just as soft under his fingers as Kris had imagined it would, and he loved the feel of it.

‘A’ was silent for a long time while Kris stroked his hair, and Kris could feel ‘A’s’ body was completely relaxed. Kris guessed he had closed his eyes beneath the mask and probably fallen asleep by now. Kris was honored by the significance of this, by ‘A’s’ trust in him. ‘A’ certainly couldn’t afford getting too close to or trusting anyone who might sell him out. The risk was immense, yet ‘A’ seemed perfectly at peace sleeping with his head in Kris’ lap, while Kris could do anything. ‘A’ had asked to sleep there, Kris reminded himself with a faint smile. 

Kris threaded his fingers through ‘A’s’ hair again, then trailed them along the edge of his mask. Leaving himself so vulnerable for Kris to remove it further confirmed the incredible trust he was bestowing Kris with. Although after what had happened before, when Kris hadn’t been thinking clearly and had attempted removing his mask, Kris would never try again as long as ‘A’ didn’t want him to.

Kris’ fingers returned to the other man’s hair. The rush of adrenaline and anxiety from seeing and having to tend to ‘A’s’ terrible wound had almost completely faded. Kris had felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach when he saw ‘A’ barely able to walk, and the blood soaked all the way down his leg. 

Yet he was here. He had managed to escape and come back, free of such drastic injuries that he couldn’t recover from. He was safe. Kris bit his lip hard as he remembered how absolutely, hopelessly terrified he’d been only a few hours before, when he’d known ‘A’ was in such danger, when he’d feared ‘A’ may never be able to return to him. Now Kris’ lips were trembling, and he bit his bottom lip hard again in attempt to hold back the flood of joy and relief that ‘A’ had been able to come back. Kris really had no idea what he would have done without him.

“Kris?” Kris was surprised to hear ‘A’ softly speak his name. He’d been silent for so long, Kris thought he had surely fallen asleep. “What’s the matter?” ‘A’ asked gently, reaching a gloved finger to trace beneath one of Kris’ eyes that had filled with tears from his sudden rush of emotion.

Kris blushed a little, but the tears wouldn’t dissipate no matter how much he blinked his eyes. “I-I just…,” he couldn’t help blubbering, “I’m just so happy you’re back, and you’re alright.” Kris took ‘A’s’ outstretched hand tightly between his own and held it close against his chest, tucked right beneath his chin.

“I felt the same way when you came back,” ‘A’ told him softly. “When you were finally safe from the hands of the government and I no longer had to spend every second in agonizing fear over what they were doing to you, and then when you wanted to come back with me… I almost wanted to cry myself, seeing you back here, alive and whole.”

“Though I bet you didn’t cry,” Kris said with a teary smile, rubbing his eyes against the sleeve of his shirt. “You’re made of tougher stuff.”

“Whether one cries or not says nothing to inner strength.”

Kris gave a wobbly smile and squeezed ‘A’s’ hand again before letting it go. “I should stop keeping you awake.”

“Are you sure it’s not a bother, my sleeping here?”

Kris shook his head. “Not at all,” he said, sliding his fingers into ‘A’s’ hair again. ‘A’ gave a soft sigh and soon fell asleep.

 

Kris had to wake ‘A’ to change his bandages a few hours later, when Kris saw redness beginning to seep through the layers of gaze. He had to swallow down queasiness when the gauze pads stuck to ‘A’s’ still weeping wound, but Kris peeled away all the dirtied bandages. He disinfected it again, apologizing repeatedly while he did so and ‘A’ made a soft exclamation of pain. Kris wrapped up his leg again.

“I’ll get us some dinner, and you a few pain killers to go with it, okay?”

“Sounds like exactly what I need.”

“Give me fifteen minutes or so. I’ll be right back.”

For the rest of the evening, ‘A’ stayed stranded on the couch and Kris dutifully tended to him, bringing him whatever he needed and routinely changing his bandages. When they started getting tired and ‘A’ said he still didn’t want to get up on his leg, Kris brought out the blankets and pillows from the bedroom so they could both sleep on the sofa. ‘A’ tried to protest; telling Kris he really didn’t have to do this, but Kris hushed him. He got himself comfortably situated before guiding ‘A’s’ head back into his lap, pushing a pillow beneath his head and spreading a blanket over him.

“You’re too good to me, Kris,” ‘A’ murmured, already sounding sleepy.

“You’d do the same for me.”

‘A’ closed his eyes while Kris started stroking his hair again. “That’s true. I certainly would.”

 

“So I imagine it’ll be a while before you’ll be going out again, right?”

Kris asked as they sat around the living room the next day, eating the lunch Kris had prepared. The TV was on and Kris kept his gaze strictly on either the screen or his plate, while ‘A’ ate on the other side of the couch, his mask sitting beside him. ‘A’s’ leg was propped up on the table with pillows.

“A little while, yes, at least a couple days.”

“Days? Shouldn’t you be talking weeks?” Kris asked, incredulous.

“I’m afraid I can’t afford to disappear for that long. The destruction of the mint was a real blow for the government, and I have to take advantage of their weakness while they’re still trying to recover and salvage public opinion.”

“But if you hurt your leg worse by aggravating your injury, you might not recover.”

“Don’t worry Kris, while it’s true I have to get back out there as soon as possible, I’ll wait until it’s safe for my leg.”

‘A’s’ injury was already looking better today. It had almost completely stopped bleeding and Kris didn’t have to constantly change the bandages anymore.

Kris got up and collected their dishes when they were done and brought them to the kitchen. 

“Let’s put a movie on?” he asked as he came back into the room, going over to the TV and looking through the cabinet of DVDs beneath the TV. “The Count of Monte Cristo?” he asked, looking towards ‘A’ over his shoulder.

“You know me too well.”

Kris popped in the film with a smile. 

“Rest your foot on my lap,” Kris said once he sat down beside ‘A’ on the sofa. He stacked a few pillows over his legs and then carefully guided ‘A’s’ leg so his foot rested on the cushions. 

“That okay?” Kris asked. “I don’t need to change the bandages again, do I?”

“No, I think they’re fine. Thank you.”

Kris shifted his attention to the TV. It was ‘A’s’ favorite film, so they had already watched it many times together. Kris figured he’d liked it alright the first time, but by now it was really growing on him.

‘A’ never grew tired of his favorite movie, but this time he found himself distracted. He tried not to keep watching Kris, but his eyes just kept wandering from the screen and in his direction on their own. Kris’ attention seemed absorbed in the film, his hands absently draped over ‘A’s’ foot. His left hand lay across ‘A’s’ bare ankle. His thumb rubbed little soft circles against his skin and every once in a while his hand would slide up and down along ‘A’s’ calf. ‘A’ felt almost ridiculous, how he couldn’t seem to focus on everything but Kris’ touch.

 

Afternoon the next day found the pair on the couch the same way. ‘A’ was reading with his foot propped in Kris’ lap while Kris watched some television show he’d taken a liking to. Even if they wanted to be more interesting, ‘A’ was still having trouble walking on his leg. He’d made one trip by himself to the bathroom earlier while Kris had been gone from the room, and Kris had almost gone blue in the face chastising him.

‘A’ glanced over his book at Kris now and then, and noticed Kris starting to nod off. His hands stilled over ‘A’s’ foot while his head slowly dropped down towards his chest as he fell asleep.

‘A’ couldn’t help watching just a little bit. His sleeping face just looked so peaceful, and the weight of his hands was so warm.

“Kris,” ‘A’ nudged him softly. Kris blinked his eyes open before jumping slightly, startled.

“Ah-what? What happened?”

‘A’ couldn’t help smiling. “You just fell asleep towards the end of your show.”

Kris yawned and stretched his arms up high above his head. “Sorry about that.”

“Nonsense.” Kris’ hands came down to rest lightly atop ‘A’s’ foot and ankle again in his lap. “Kris,” ‘A’ started, “You’ve been sitting here with me for almost three days now, and I know you hardly slept the night before last because you had to keep changing my bandages. If you’re tired, then go sleep in the bedroom.”

Kris just shook his head with a faint smile. “I’m fine, really. I’m not tired. It’s not like I mind taking care of your injury. I’m glad to do it.”

“I feel guilty though, with you sitting there for so long. You can go do whatever you’d like, you know, you don’t have to sit here with me.”

“You’re confined to the couch and it’d be boring for you to sit here alone, so why not join you and make it a party?” Kris said the last words with a laugh and a smile, despite the slight weariness in his face.

“Well, I appreciate your efforts to amp up the party.” Kris giggled a tiny bit and ‘A’ couldn’t help a chuckle of his own. “Just…if you’re bored or fed up, please promise you’ll go do something more entertaining,” ‘A’ added.

“I will,” Kris responded, then grew more serious. “But I don’t think I’ll be feeling that way any time soon.” Kris averted his gaze, looking back down towards ‘A’s’ foot in his lap as he placed his hands over it again, one hand rubbing over his ankle. 

“You got somber all of a sudden. What’s the matter?”

Kris focused on his fingers moving against ‘A’s’ pale, bare skin. His calf going up to the knee where his pant leg was rolled up looked perfectly normal (aside from the injury), no scarring or disfigurements to be seen. Yet, Kris knew ‘A’ hadn’t been so lucky all the time. He had plenty of battle scars, though Kris didn’t precisely know where or how or what they looked like. The brief glimpse he’d once snuck while ‘A’ was working out had proven nothing but their existence. That was enough for Kris, enough to freak him out and make him appreciate every moment ‘A’ was there with him.

Kris’ fingers tightened reflexively around ‘A’s’ ankle a little bit. He didn’t know how to answer ‘A’s’ question in any simple matter.

“Those two days you were gone and captured, that was plenty of time without you. Now I don’t even want to be in a different room from you, silly as it may be. I just…didn’t realize until then how that was a reality, that you might go out one day and never come back. It made me recognize my life’s become really empty if you’re not in it.”

‘A’ didn’t say anything, and Kris stayed silent for a moment, focusing on tracing tiny infinity symbols against ‘A’s’ ankle.

Kris went on, his filter completely removed, “Even the time I spent at home, something was wrong though I couldn’t say quite what. Everything normal from my life before just seemed so boring and black and white. I found myself always thinking about you, all the time, and for a while it frustrated me. Then the pieces all eventually fit together and I realized it. I realized how one person you meet can become your whole world.”

‘A’ took a light breath from beneath his mask, but otherwise remained stark silent. Kris’ fingers were still brushing his ankle. Kris’ brain was just beginning to catch up to his mouth and he couldn’t help flushing a little. God, had he really just said that aloud?! 

Kris quickly moved ‘A’s’ foot off his lap – as quickly as he could without hurting him – and stood up from the sofa. “I’m going to uhm, get a drink real quick. Do you want anything?”

‘A’ just barely shook his head. He still hadn’t said anything, or even looked up from the place Kris was sitting a moment ago. Totally embarrassed, Kris scurried into the kitchen. 

Kris made himself stop freaking out while he waited for his glass to fill. It’s not like he’d dropped the L-word or asked ‘A’ to marry him or anything. What was wrong with ‘A’ knowing just how important he was to Kris? Besides, Kris had already tried to kiss him once, so the way he’d been talking just now probably hadn’t been much of a surprise to ‘A’ anyway.

Kris took a deep breath while he filled a glass with water, slowing and gathering his thoughts. Carrying his glass, he went back towards the living room, ready to plop back down on the sofa with ‘A’ for the evening.

When he entered the living room, he hadn’t expected to see ‘A’ standing beside the sofa. Kris gasped.

“What are you doing?! You shouldn’t be walking on your leg!” 

Kris set his glass down on the nearest surface before rushing in ‘A’s’ direction in case he needed support, but ‘A’ took one swift step forward on his uninjured leg to meet Kris halfway and lay a few gloved fingers over Kris’ lips. Kris stilled instantly, his eyes widening the slightest bit.

“I’m fine,” ‘A’ told him. “I can stand.”

As ‘A’s’ fingers slid slowly away from his mouth, Kris immediately asked softly, “Why risk testing it before you’re healed?”

“Because a full recovery will take weeks, but a moment this vital comes only rarely, and I needed to stand up here and meet you for it to be right.”

“For what to be right?” Kris asked in nothing but a whisper, as ‘A’s’ hand had moved to the side of his face now, his fingers stroking his cheek. “What moment?”

“The moment I stop hiding from you.”

Kris was silent, other than the boisterous pounding of his heart, and he hung on each word ‘A’ said. His hand was curled gently against the curve of Kris’ cheek now.

“What you said a moment ago…, it wouldn’t be a surprise that no one’s ever told me anything like that before, and I can’t express what it means to me.” His thumb stroked gently against Kris’ cheek once. “You certainly didn’t have to spend the last three days doing nothing but looking after me, but you did. You told me how terribly frightened you were when I was gone…” Kris still couldn’t repress the slightest shudder at the thought. Yet ‘A’ went on in a voice barely above a whisper, gentle and meant only for Kris.

“You were so upset over me. It seems that somehow, you’ve come to care for me so.”

“I do,” Kris whispered back immediately. “Like you wouldn’t even believe.”

“So much, you wanted to come back here and stay with me on your own. You could have gone back to your normal life, you could have stayed with your friends, you could have found some nice, regular girl or guy to settle down with but you didn’t. You came back to me. You even endured imprisonment, for me. And how have I repaid you? How have I shown you that I care for you in return? I’ve still kept everything about myself from you. It’s not right…”

“It’s okay,” Kris hurried to gently interrupt him. “I understand why you have to do it, ‘A’.”

“I don’t want to hear you call me that, not anymore, Kris. After everything, it’s not fair to you. You deserve everything I can give you, even if it’s not perfect or beautiful.”

‘A’ pulled his hand back from Kris’ face, in favor of holding his hands up between them.

“You deserve honesty,” he murmured as he started pulling his leather gloves off. He tossed them onto the couch once they were removed, revealing his heavily scarred hands. They were a paler shade than normal, the skin ridged and twisted all over from what Kris thought must have been burns. ‘A’ held his hands somewhat awkwardly in front of him, as if not sure what to do with or even how to hold his scorched hands.

“Do they disgust you?” he asked, his voice bordering on timidity.

Kris tore his gaze from ‘A’s’ newly revealed hands and it shot to his still-masked face. Kris reached out immediately to cup both of ‘A’s’ hands between his own. He gently pulled them forward to hold them close near his own chest, cradling them as if they were made of gold. His eyes moved back to lock with ‘A’s’ through the mesh eyeholes of his mask, while Kris’ thumbs moved gently over the rough skin on the back of ‘A’s’ hands.

‘A’ seemed frozen for a long time. Eventually, he looked down from Kris’ face to where Kris was holding his scarred hands. ‘A’ gently pulled them away and slowly reached up to his mask. 

Kris quickly reached out to stop him, holding his hands again. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Kris said softly. “That’s…the most dangerous thing you can do.”

“Not when it’s you, Kris. I trust you.”

‘A’ gave Kris’ hands a small squeeze before pulling his own hands free again. Still standing close and still needing to touch him, Kris’ hands fell to rest on ‘A’s’ chest.

‘A’s’ fingers slid along the edge of his mask before he found purchase. Since it fit precisely and snugly to the shape of his face, it was somewhat hard to remove. He usually only did so when he showered, and fitting it back on was always the first thing he did afterward. He had to look down, away from Kris’ eyes as he tugged it forward slightly to dislodge the mask from the curves of his face. Then, holding his breath through what had suddenly and stiflingly become one of the single most terrifying moments of his life, he slowly lowered the mask.

As Kris watched ‘A’ pry his mask free, countless thoughts suddenly started speeding through his head at a hundred miles an hour. All of the horrible disfigurements and scars he imagined ‘A’ might have replayed through his mind, and Kris felt for a moment as if he couldn’t breathe.

The mask slowly fell away.

The first thing Kris saw were his eyes – his light blue and impossibly deep, striking eyes. Kris had yearned for so long now to know what his eyes looked like, Kris felt he could look into them forever. He finally made himself pull back the focus of his gaze. 

He had beautiful features. A straight, prominent nose, pronounced bow lips, full cheekbones that sloped down to a strong jawline with just the slightest touch of softness beneath. Even if he saw him just walking down the street as a normal guy, Kris would probably have done a double take. He had freckles, which surprised Kris a lot. It was while Kris was tracing the light smattering of freckles along his face when the scars became prominent. 

On the right side of his face (the left, from Kris’ vantage point), ran scars from forehead to chin that looked similar to the burns on his hands. Rather, these were darker, a dim shade almost brown that was made less prominent by his dark hair and freckles. They extended from his hairline and covered the entire expanse of skin over to his eye and down to his ear. The way the scarring had healed pulled the outer corner of his right eye slightly downward, though his eye still blinked and moved about as normal. From that largest and most severe patch of scarring, it extended off in two branches. One reached down to his chin, moving inwards a little and catching the right corner of his mouth. The other branch extended across his cheek, just reaching the bridge of his nose before it stopped.

It was evident to Kris that the scars were completely healed and had been part of his face for a long time. His hair brushed against the dark ripples of his scars and his glimmering eyes blinked beside them, still not meeting Kris’ gaze, glimmering with something Kris recognized must have been fear, but that was so completely not how he had envisioned ‘A’s’ eyes would be…

Kris’ fingers tightened compulsively to grip ‘A’s’ shirt where they still rested on his chest. Kris didn’t know how he could have been so stupid. He should have known ‘A’ couldn’t be anything other than beautiful.

‘A’ took a slow, audible breath.

“My real name is Adam.”

It took a moment for the weight of the knowledge to fully settle into Kris. Then he took a deep, elated breath, his heart racing.

“Adam,” Kris repeated breathlessly. “Your name is Adam…”

Kris’ hands traveled up Adam’s chest, along his neck and then to trace the shape of his jaw. Kris touched his skin with feather light fingers, moving slowly and reverently as if Adam were some age-old treasure or artifact that might crumble before his eyes if he pushed too hard.

As Kris’ thumb ghosted over the hardened bottom edge of the scarring near his chin, Adam murmured, “Tell me, …are you repulsed?”

His eyes had finally skirted up to meet Kris’, but he couldn’t quite decipher the look on Kris’ face, whether the brightness in his eyes was amazement or shock. 

“What?” Kris asked, his face pinching into a slight, confused frown. “How could I be?” Kris slid his arms up around the taller man’s neck, pressing closer to him. Adam’s brow lifted, his eyes widening the slightest bit as Kris pressed in nearer to him rather than pulling away. Kris couldn’t help smiling as he could finally watch those little emotions and tells move across the other man’s face. Kris moved one hand against Adam’s face again, his fingers resting beside those blue eyes while Kris closely watched them flickering anxiously over his own face. “How could you ask me that?” Kris whispered. “You’re beautiful.”

Kris watched with no small amount of joy and pride as Adam’s eyes widened and his gaze snapped immediately to meet Kris’ in shock. Kris was still smiling, his own eyes brimming with warmth and affection while Adam’s eyes held his, the expression on his face open and vulnerable for a long moment while he searched Kris’ eyes to make sure Kris had genuinely meant what he’d thought he heard. 

Kris could have stood there all day letting him do that, just embracing the chance for his own gaze to finally meet Adam’s, to finally be able to see the expressions and emotions that were a new language all to their own. 

Adam studied Kris’ face still, blue eyes surveying and exploring brown ones as he tried to make sure he was reading Kris correctly. Kris was still standing near him, he was still wearing that tender smile, and he still had one hand reached out towards Adam’s face. Kris’ gaze hadn’t left or even skirted away from him once. It seemed somehow that Kris was still looking at him the same way…

Then Adam moved faster than Kris had ever seen him. Surging forward, his mouth pressed deeply and hungrily to Kris’, the mask falling to the ground as his arms moved in a flash to take Kris’ smaller form into them. Kris was still for a half second only with the shock of it, then with the almost crippling force of the feeling that flooded into him. Kris’ lips pressed back into the shape of Adam’s mouth naturally and frantically as he finally tasted Adam’s mouth for the first time. Caught between their bodies, Kris’ hands gripped the fabric of Adam’s shirt over his shoulders. Kris made a soft sound that passed between Adam’s lips as their first kiss plunged into their first several, and the warmth and the heat and the tight need were everything Kris had imagined and wanted so desperately as Adam kissed him almost as if he were trying to break Kris in half, or dive inside of him.

When they had to separate, they were each panting. One of Adam’s hands skirted up to frame the side of Kris’ neck as their foreheads rested together.

“Fucking finally,” Adam murmured, and Kris loved the way Adam’s breath brushed over his mouth almost as much as he loved the sentiment. Kris’ overwhelming happiness let him do nothing but beam. Adam’s fingers brushed against Kris’ neck as his own mouth echoed Kris’ wide smile.

This time, Kris was quite deliberately the one who moved forward. Adam didn’t let himself close his eyes and lose himself until he watched Kris’ eyes slide shut and felt Kris’ lips press to his. Adam threaded a hand through Kris’ hair, a needy, rumbling sound escaping his own mouth while Kris kissed him thoroughly. Adam’s other hand tightened against Kris’ hip, and Kris was already responding, meeting the force Adam poured into the kiss and giving it back one hundred percent. Kris’ hands twisted in Adam’s shirt, pulling.

This time when they pulled back, clouded eyes accompanied their shortage of breath. Adam’s arms were tight and desperate around Kris, holding the smaller man pressed close against him. Kris’ hands were clinging to Adam’s shirt and he was, for all intents and purposes, beyond clear thought when he whispered, “I think we should go to the bedroom.”

Kris’ heart sped as he watched dark heat unfurl in Adam’s eyes. Kris couldn’t believe how much closer and more connected he felt to the other man now that he could take in his face and eyes and expressions. Kris had already been hopelessly attached to him before and while he’d known their relationship would evolve if ‘A’ ever showed Kris his face, Kris could never have expected things to be so incredibly more intense when he could finally look into Adam’s eyes and find them looking back.

“Only if you insist,” Adam murmured, his mouth only a breath away from Kris’ before he quickly kissed him again and his arms started pulling Kris in the direction of the bedroom. Kris went gladly.

They couldn’t help bumping into the walls in the hallway a few times on their way, as it seemed they simply couldn’t let go of each other or stop kissing. They had lots of time to make up for. Once they finally made it, they fell onto the bed together.

Lying back against the pillows, their arms were still tangled around each other while their mouths remained frantically connected. Adam leaned over Kris a bit to kiss him more deeply, and Kris slid a hand upwards to cup the side of Adam’s face. The roughened scar tissue met his hand and Kris just tugged him closer. When Kris opened his eyes this close, the darker shade of Adam’s scars was barely discernable. All Kris saw was ‘A’, Adam – the man he loved and wanted so intensely.

Kris’ hands flew down to the hem of his own shirt and started tugging upwards. Adam was still leaning over him and Kris got it halfway off on his own before Adam pulled it the rest of the way off and tossed it to the side. 

Kris saw Adam’s eyes flicker over him and he couldn’t help the slight blush that rose to his skin. Still not used to the sensation of Adam’s bright blue eyes being trained on him, having them suddenly focusing on him so intimately made him embarrassed. Eager to get the attention off himself, Kris reached down and gave the bottom of Adam’s dark shirt a similar tug.

Kris felt Adam immediately tense against him, and Kris’ fingers abruptly stilled. He’d almost forgotten what each piece of shed clothing meant for Adam. Kris still had a brief, blurry memory of the blemishes along Adam’s chest, but it did nothing to tame Kris’ racing blood or make him want to stop gripping Adam as close as he was. He also remembered the incredible shape Adam’s body had been toned into.

“These don’t bother you?” Adam asked, his intense eyes trained straight on Kris’ while he tilted the disfigured side of his face in Kris’ direction to make it clear what he’d been referring to. 

Looking Adam directly in the face with nothing but a tender look in his eyes, Kris reached up to trail his fingers over the marred skin. The scarred portions of his face were slightly raised and coarse against Kris’ fingertips. They would surely take a little while to get used to, but so would seeing Adam’s face at all. Besides, Kris thought, a man as unique and incredible as Adam must certainly have something about him that set him apart.

“No,” Kris whispered to him gently but firmly in response, his thumb stroking back and forth over the scar tissue beneath his right eye. Adam’s eyes remained locked with his for a few moments more before Adam lifted his arms up slightly, just enough to let Kris pull his shirt up and off. His joined Kris’ on the floor.

Adam lowered his arms again and Kris could do nothing but marvel. Adam was simply stunning.

As he sat there naked to Kris’ eyes from the waist up, Kris reached out to him with the need to touch and explore. He started just above Adam’s wrists, slowly moving his fingers upwards along Adam’s arms. When he reached his upper arms, Kris’ fingers skimmed over small, bumpy scars as he felt the twin swells of his biceps.

Moving along quickly in his excitement, Kris traced the planes and contours of Adam’s chest in wonder. He idly noticed Adam’s arms come to loosely circle him, just looping around his own waist while Kris’ fingers mapped muscles and abs and scars and burns. 

“You are really incredible,” Kris murmured in unadulterated reverence as his fingers touched a patch of deep red scarring just over Adam’s pronounced abdominal muscles. Adam didn’t say anything, but was no longer a silent wall behind his mask. Rather, he watched Kris openly, watching Kris’ wide eyes shimmer with admiration and reverence as they followed the path of his fingers back up Adam’s chest, to touch a large, deep scar above his left nipple seemingly either from a bullet or a knife wound. 

Kris’ hands traveled back down Adam’s chest. Adam had developed his muscles and toned his body as much as he could. Kris thought he must have trained mercilessly for years, and he had the scars and wounds to show why it had all been necessary. In some places the skin was only a little raised or twisted in a small scar, in some places the scars ran deeper and took on darker hues, and in other places he had larger patches of angry red burn scarring. Yet beneath so much pain and injury, he had kept his body in impeccable condition.

After focusing on the soft caresses of Kris’ fingertips over both his normal and scarred skin, Adam responded to Kris’ words with the slightest hint of a smile, “I’m not sure that’s quite the same word I would use, … but thank you. You have a rather nice body yourself, you know.”

Kris snorted a little before a flash of heat moved through him from Adam’s arms tightening slightly around him, his rough hands sliding up to bracket Kris’ waist.

Kris’ fingers mapped their way back up towards Adam’s shoulders and he held on there before he looked up and lost himself in the intensity of those blue eyes. Adam was looking nowhere but directly into Kris’ eyes, and Kris saw nothing anymore but the heat in Adam’s eyes, felt nothing but the press of Adam’s fingers against his bare lower back. 

When Kris leaned in again, Adam dragged him close as their lips met. Kissing deeply, Adam’s arms kept Kris cradled tight against his chest as he started to lower Kris back against the pillows. His arms wrapped up around Adam’s back, Kris groaned softly against Adam’s mouth. As they exchanged deep, open-mouthed kisses, Kris could occasionally feel the brush of the scars that bordered the right corner of Adam’s mouth. 

“Adam…,” Kris breathed with a soft moan when he had to pull back for air. Kris was lying back against the pillows now, but when Kris spoke, Adam raised himself up with his arms on either side of Kris, moving away slightly and fixing the man beneath him with an unreadable expression.

“What?” Kris asked with a slight frown. “What’s wrong?”

Adam regarded him for only a moment before shaking his head slightly.

“It’s just… It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name.”

And he fell upon Kris again, Kris clutching him close as their mouths met yet again.

Rolling around with their hands moving all over each other and their mouths meeting regularly in hurried, heated kisses, they managed to rid each other of the rest of their clothing. When Kris started peeling Adam’s pants down, Adam murmured against his mouth, “Don’t worry, everything down there is still fully functional.” 

Kris had laughed softly into their next kiss, whispering, “Good” into Adam’s mouth as he pushed Adam’s underwear out of the way as well. 

Kris finally pulled his mouth away from Adam’s for a moment so he could look down between their bodies to see Adam’s cock come into view. It was flushed red, already erect and sizeable, and Kris felt hot as Adam’s mouth found his ear to nip gently and Kris realized he was what had made Adam so hard.

Both of their underwear soon joined the rest of their clothes on the floor, and Kris couldn’t get enough of the bare press of their bodies together. Adam shifted over him so he could reach into a drawer in the bedside table, and Kris couldn’t help rocking against him already, mouthing at Adam’s neck while his aching cock rubbed mindlessly along Adam’s hip. 

Rummaging through the drawer, Adam suddenly went still and cursed under his breath.

“What is it?” Kris murmured, his lips still attached to Adam’s neck.

Adam was silent for a moment and he’d gone stock-still. Kris pulled back a little so he could peer up at his face.

“I have lube but no condoms. I never thought I’d need them down here.”

Rather than the implications of Adam’s comment, Kris’ first thought was how ridiculous that was, given Adam’s incredible body. Then Kris took in what he’d said. Biting his lip, he thought hard for a moment.

“You know the regular testing all citizens have to get when we go to the doctors?” Kris said. “I had one a couple months ago. I’m clean.”

Adam looked down, meeting Kris’ gaze. “My last one was a long time ago, but it’s not as if I’ve been getting laid since then. 

Kris met his eyes squarely. “I trust you.” Their hips were still pressed flush together, and Kris couldn’t help a small, coy smile. “Besides, I don’t think I could stop anyway.”

“I don’t think any force could remove me from this bed either,” Adam said, cracking a smile as the tense moment faded.

Kris pulled him down to kiss him again while Adam fumbled the lube out of the drawer. With one arm still wrapped around Kris, Adam struggled for a moment to get the small bottle open using just one hand while he was still kissing Kris. Kris blindly reached a hand out to help him, and the lid snapped open with a resounding pop. 

Adam moved down Kris’ body, his hands running down along Kris’ sides before he settled between Kris’ legs. He sat back on his heels, his legs folded, and Kris automatically spread his own legs more to make room for him. Kris’ legs bracketed him, resting over his hips. Adam poured lube over his fingers. 

He felt the urge to look up to Kris’ face and ask him again if he was sure. When he looked, he could see nothing but the expanse of beautiful bare skin and the lines and angles of Kris’ body spread out before him in the bed – for him. When his gaze finally made it to Kris’ face, he found Kris’ eyes bright and expectant, his bottom lip firmly between his teeth. Adam took in that look of breathless anticipation and exhilaration written all over Kris’ face, then the way in which Kris had clearly already uncovered and offered himself to Adam. Adam had trusted him and taken the leap first, removing his mask despite his fear that Kris wouldn’t be able to accept his disfigurements. Instead of being disgusted or pulling away, Kris had jumped with him, and now there was nothing between them anymore. In the years since he’d gotten his scars, Adam had never trusted or revealed himself to anyone until now, and now Kris was just as exposed and bare as he was.

A deep, soft moan was lifted from Kris when the first of Adam’s fingers sank into him, after Adam spent a moment tracing his slickened fingers around Kris’ opening to ensure he was wet and grasping. A second finger, and Kris’ eyes slid shut as he shivered from the strange sensation of being gently stretched open and stroked from inside, leaving tingles of pleasure sizzling through him. Adam’s fingers slowly slid deeper, and Kris couldn’t help a soft whine when Adam’s rough fingertips curled again.

Pushing his eyes back open, Kris looked down to the man kneeled between his thighs. One of his hands rested lightly against Kris’ hip while his other worked carefully between Kris’ legs. Kris’ breathing stalled just looking at him. The scars and burns and imperfections scattered along his torso only accentuated the form of his developed upper body. Yet after Kris’ eyes passed over his muscular body, he found Adam’s face and eyes focused nowhere other than where his fingers were working their way inside Kris, his clear blue eyes watching tenderly as Kris slowly opened up for him. Kris’ skin grew flushed, not even because someone was looking at him there, but because of the tremendous intensity in Adam’s eyes.

Minutes later, Adam gently removed his three fingers.

As soon as Kris felt he was empty again, he was murmuring, “Please, please, Adam…”

Adam looked up to meet Kris’ gaze, his hands running over Kris’ hips. That same intensity was still burning in his eyes, and Kris would never take for granted the chance to finally look into those spellbinding eyes. Adam looked away only to reach for the lube again. 

Kris was so hard it was starting to hurt, and he just needed Adam so badly. He may have spent plenty of time thinking about this in the past, but now that he’d seen Adam beneath his mask and all his clothes, and he was so close and this was truly a reality, Kris realized he’d really had no idea how much he needed him.

Kris was almost too lost in his own need and desperation to notice Adam quickly slickening himself. Kris itched to reach out and help him, to run his hands along Adam’s length and know what he felt like, but Adam moved fast. Only a moment later, Adam had taken a gentle hold of Kris’ thighs and reclaimed his place between them. Kris gasped at the first brush of Adam’s hardness against him. Without thinking, Kris was sliding down the bed closer to him, spreading his legs further apart and hooking his ankles together high around Adam’s back. 

While Adam’s pink hands held Kris’ thighs in place around him and he leaned forward slightly to find the right angle, he whispered almost brokenly, “I’ve wanted you so badly, Kris…”

Kris gasped as the head of Adam’s cock found his entrance.

“Need you,” Kris gasped, “God, you have no idea how I’ve…Fuck, I’ve even been dreaming about it.”

“I’ve dreamed about you, about all of you,” Adam whispered in that same desperate voice, his eyes still fire and burning Kris as Kris felt him begin to push inside in earnest. Kris made a soft sound, his eyes closing tightly as Adam’s girth slowly slid entirely into him. Kris gasped in absolute, obscene pleasure as he felt Adam fully inside him for the first time, filling him to the point of breaking yet not wanting anything more than to somehow keep holding all of Adam inside him.

Hearing Kris’ gasp, Adam asked quickly, “Are you alright?” 

He started gently easing out, until Kris nodded and managed, “Perfect, I-I just…I need…” Instead of making Kris flounder for words, Adam started pushing into him again, slower this time with little rocks of his hips. Kris moaned loudly and Adam could feel Kris’ legs taut where they were squeezed around him. 

“Adam,” Kris whined, his legs tightening around Adam and trying to bring him in for more, for faster, while Adam eased in again. Adam had been keeping close restraint over his movements even while it was so intolerably difficult, because he knew he had to give Kris a chance to get used to his size first. Then, when Kris was saying that and trying to pull Adam in more, Adam’s restraint broke in two against the little band of control he’d had. 

Gasping Kris’ name, Adam fell forward over him at the same time Kris reached for him. Fitting himself down against Kris’ body, one of his hands came down to support himself against the bed while his other stayed hooked behind Kris’ thigh, holding it up and back enough while Adam gave in to his clamoring need for the man beneath him and started thrusting into him wildly, his strong body moving with quickness and force.

Kris couldn’t help crying out in pleasure each time Adam’s body slammed into his, and Kris clung to Adam as he tried to draw him ever impossibly close. Adam’s forehead rested between Kris’ neck and shoulder while his hips worked into Kris again and again, and Kris held him there, his trembling arms wrapped tight around Adam’s body above him and holding him close against himself. Kris could hear Adam’s gasps and groans against his skin, and they only coaxed more from his own lips. 

Quickly, Kris was beginning to lose sense of his own thoughts and reason beneath the incredible, breathless force Adam was unleashing on him. He moved swiftly and powerfully, thrusting deeply and filling Kris again and again with his passion. Kris didn’t want to lose himself in the hurricane of sensations; he wanted to savor each one, no matter how overwhelming.

Yet, despite how difficult it was for Kris to keep track of the overpowering sensations and feelings coursing through him, there was one response he felt bone deep that wasn’t clouded or fleeting. Lovemaking with Adam was unlike anything he’d ever felt before, no previous experience rivaled it, but moving against Adam’s flushed body and holding him close when they were bare and joined together so completely felt somehow familiar. Almost as if his body knew this was where he was supposed to be, as if they’d been doing this their whole lives.

Still driving deeply and precisely into Kris to push him to the edge, Adam’s mouth found Kris’. Kris kissed him eagerly and his legs tightened more around Adam, wanting to be as close, as connected with him as he could, to feel every single indescribably incredible thing Adam could make him feel. 

Kris’ head fell back and he cried out as Adam thrust in again, hard and impossibly deep, and they were locked together completely, to their very cores.

 

The bed was far too empty in the short moments Adam went to fetch a washcloth. When he returned, Kris gazed at him with a sated smile, taking no small amount of pleasure in watching Adam stride into the room, not only with his face bared but also completely naked still. His body, scattered with scars, was still strong and beautiful and moved with a kind of subtle elegance. Kris had to wait only a minute while Adam cleaned him up before he was folded back into Adam’s arms. 

(Adam had tried to pull out when he’d murmured in a strained voice how close he was, but Kris had dug his nails into Adam’s back and tightened his legs around him, holding him there. Adam had come first, and his soft, muffled noises against Kris’ neck combined with Adam’s hand finding his cock had shoved Kris suddenly into his gasping climax.)

“Was that all okay? You’re alright?” Adam asked, his hands rubbing Kris’ back as he pressed a kiss to Kris’ forehead. Kris had a serene smile on his face, his eyes closed where his head rested against Adam’s shoulder.

“Alright? I’m kind of the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

“Kris…,” Adam whispered, and kissed him.

They resettled in the bed, both lying on their backs with Kris lying halfway on top of Adam, his head back against Adam’s chest. Adam had one arm under and around Kris, and Kris held Adam’s hand in his own, idly playing with his fingers and feeling the puckered skin. 

“You know what’s sad?” Kris asked. “I’m fucking twenty-two and that was only the second time in my whole life I’ve had sex. The first time was when I was nineteen. I went home with this guy I met at the club. It was okay I guess, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how scared I was the whole time, since who knows all the ways the government has us monitored. Then I had to stay at his place overnight since curfew already passed. I was so relieved when I got home safe the next morning, I never did it again.”

“That fear is one of the many reasons I’ve been doing what I’m doing, but you don’t have to worry. We’re safe here,” Adam murmured, pressing a kiss where his nose and lips were buried in Kris’ hair. “And I’d die before I ever let them hurt you again.”

“I know,” Kris said with a smile and an honored flip of his heart.

Kris looked down to Adam’s hand, where his own fingers were threaded between Adam’s scarred ones. Kris ran his other hand along the back of Adam’s. The pink scar tissue covered his hands completely, then trailed only a little ways up his wrist before it faded away.

“Can you still feel things?” Kris asked, touching Adam’s fingers.

“Not really. The nerves are dead and the scarring’s too thick.” Kris frowned slightly. Adam moved that hand up to stroke Kris’ cheek. “And I’ve never mourned that as much as I am right now.”

Kris turned over onto his side to see Adam’s face.

“What about these?” he asked, lightly touching the patch of dark scarring beside Adam’s right eye.

“They aren’t as bad. I can feel your touch, and I’m lucky I can still move my face and make expressions.”

Kris giggled for a moment while Adam proved it, making all manner of silly faces. 

The air grew serious between them again, Kris’ fingers still touching the scars stretched across the right side of Adam’s face. Adam was gazing up at him, right into his eyes, until Kris dipped his head forward to touch his lips to his chin where the bottom edge of the scarring began. 

Adam’s eyes closed and shivered as Kris leaned over him, placing little soft kisses up along the trail of scars, then over the dark, roughened strip on his cheek. When he reached the large patch that extended all the way from his eye to his hairline, Kris moved slowly to make sure his lips touched every inch. A loud breath escaped Adam at the utterly alien sensation, his hands tightening on Kris. 

Kris kissed his lips when he was done, then settled back down against Adam’s chest, taking his hand again and playing with his fingers. Adam watched for a moment, watching Kris’ smaller, unmarred fingers fiddling with and trailing over his own.

“I suppose you want to know what happened,” he said gently, like it was just a thought he’d been musing over.

“Only if you feel like it. I don’t want you to doubt I’m content right now, just as we are.”

Adam was quiet for a moment, then threaded his fingers between Kris’ again.

“With all the things you’ve given me, you deserve to know.” He squeezed Kris’ hand. “I’ll tell you everything. Although it’s a lot to tell.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Their entwined hands rested down against Kris’ chest while Adam stared up at the ceiling for a moment, considering how to begin. It would be the first time he’d ever told this story to anyone.

“I was nine when the prime minister came into power and this government began laying down its laws. Little by little, rumors began to grow that homosexuals were disappearing or being rounded up. Even so, I was headstrong and foolish. When I was a teenager, I had secret boyfriends in school and went out dancing all the time, wearing all the makeup and flashy outfits I could. You wouldn’t believe the flamboyant thing I was. 

“I was eighteen when they came for me. Rather than hand me over, my parents tried to hide me. The police didn’t take well to that. They broke in and took all of us. As soon as they brought us away, they lined up my mother, my father, and my younger brother and shot them all. I had to watch my family die before my eyes. I already knew no punishment or torture they had in store for me could be worse.

“After that they brought me to a detainment facility outside the bounds of the city called SycMoore. There were hundreds of other prisoners being held there, but the place was more than just a prison. It was a testing facility, where they were experimenting with biological weapons and using the prisoners as test subjects. They shot all manner of pathogens and viruses into us, then stood back and observed. I was sicker than I’d ever been in my life, and I suffered as I watched the other prisoners die one by one around me. Yet somehow, no matter how many times they injected new horrific things into me, I continued to live. I was so full of hatred after what they’d done to my family, it burned in me towards all of them – the soldiers, the guards, the doctors. Forlorn and miserable as I was, I couldn’t let them succeed in taking anything more from me. I endured, though I was put through all levels of hell.

“Then, perhaps two months after I was brought to the facility, there was a fire. I don’t know how it started, but it spread and raged out of control. In the pandemonium, I was able to escape from my cell. I could barely walk, I was so sick, but I knew this was the only chance I’d get and if I didn’t escape, I would probably be burned alive. The door handles were scalding with heat, but I had to grip them anyway. The last two doors were on fire, but I knew I had to push them open and run through the flames. My hands were blistering, and when I ran through the flames they scorched wherever they touched. I had my head turned so the fire caught only half of my face. 

“Once I was finally outside, I just kept running. The guards were too panicked about the fire to give me much chase. I was in agony from the burns, but I knew there was nothing more important than getting as far away from that facility as I could. Eventually, I found an abandoned building outside the city limits where I could squat. I didn’t move for days. The burns and lingering sickness from their injections kept me completely debilitated with pain and weakness. I needed food and water, but I couldn’t bring myself to even sit up. 

“It was days before the pain lessened and my hunger grew terrible enough to force me up. I was ravenous and half dead; I ate grass and drank dirty rainwater from a storm drain. When I was outside, I could hear the sound of trains moving to and from the city not too far away. I followed the noise, hoping to find a way I could sneak back into the city just because I needed to find food somewhere. It was finally a stroke of fortune when I found the trains.

“I came across a train stop where all the trains coming into the city were inspected before being permitted to pass through. Most of them were carrying food to supply grocery stores. It was incredibly dangerous, but hunger will drive men to desperate measures. When one of the trains was stopped, I managed to sneak onto it and steal an armful of anything I could find.

“For a while, that was how I survived. I lived in that empty building, eating sparingly from the food I would go steal. The longer I did it, the more I noticed that the food being carried in on those trains wasn’t the same food making it onto the people’s tables. There were excesses of fine foods being imported, but I had barely seen a fraction of them ever on the shelves. Most of it was being hoarded by the government.

“As I did my best to tend to my burns and the infected sores from where I’d gotten injections, my hatred and vendetta against the government ate away at me for everything they’d done to me and the mounting injustices they were leveling against all their people. As I wallowed there in that empty building, just trying to survive, the force of my hate kept me alive. I thought I’d die with all the hate in my veins unless I did something about it. I had nothing left, so my need for retribution took over.

“After staying there long enough for my wounds to heal and to regain my strength, I snuck back into the city hiding on one of the trains. I found this underground hideaway after I jumped off the train and spent hours walking through all the city’s unused train tracks, trying to find a safe place. After a few years spent healing and training, I began my mission to dismember the government. I knew it seemed insane, one man against all that might, but someone had to try.”

By this time, one of Adam’s hands was held between Kris’ while his other stroked through Kris’ hair. Kris laid there silently for a long time, his eyes wide, just trying to process everything he’d just been told. 

“I…I don’t even know what I can say,” Kris whispered, his voice sounding strained. “You’ve been through so much suffering…”

Kris’ voice broke a little and Adam tugged him closer, hushing him with his lips pressed against Kris’ hair.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Adam murmured to him. “You’re here with me now, and that’s more than enough.”

Kris squeezed Adam’s hand tightly between his own, turning his face to press close against Adam’s chest. He had always been rooting for Adam to succeed, but now there was nothing Kris could think he wanted to see more than the government fall after all the horrors they’d subjected Adam to, as well as the hundreds of other prisoners in that detainment facility.

“That’s quite enough about me. Would you tell me about your story, Kris?”

After taking a few seconds to gather himself, Kris looked up and snorted a little.

“Mine’s not nearly as interesting as yours.” When he looked into Adam’s expectant, hopeful face, Kris shrugged. “Of course I can.”

Kris settled back down against Adam’s chest before he started talking, Adam’s arms securely around him and his head snuggled down beneath Adam’s chin.

“I lost my family at a young age, too, but the circumstances were a lot different. I was ten when there was a car crash. I was in the back seat and I survived, though my parents and my brother didn’t. After that, I got processed through the government’s program for orphans. I was sent to live with several different foster families, always moving around every couple years. I hated it, never making any real relationships because we all knew I’d be gone in a year or two. When I was eighteen, they made me move into my current apartment and put me in my first government job. I worked in the back room of a post office, doing nothing but sorting mail all day and the jobs only got worse. When I was working in the Commerce building, it was as an assistant running around all day getting peoples’ coffee and delivering their things up and down the stairs. Being thrown into all those menial, worthless jobs nobody else would ever want, I learned to hate the government real quick. 

“Then I met my friends, Cale and Charles, soon after I moved into my apartment, and they made things a lot better. They were finally something the government hadn’t forced me into or tried to supply me with. They’ve been there for me ever since, and they made my life at least tolerable.”

Adam spoke up then, asking, “And did I make your life better or worse, when we started crossing paths?”

Kris lifted his head to look at him. “How can you even ask that? I thought it was pretty obvious you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Adam looked rather shocked for a moment before an honored smile spread onto his lips as he gazed at Kris. He reached up a hand to gently trace Kris’ cheek. Kris smiled, turning his face into Adam’s hand and lightly kissing his palm.

“After the first couple times we met, I started having these strange dreams and fantasies,” Kris told him softly, “Where you would sweep me off my feet and carry me away to some new, exciting life.”

Kris leaned down to kiss him deeply, smiling when he pulled back afterwards.

“And that’s exactly what you did.”

 

Adam awoke early, as he always did, but rather than alone on the cramped couch as he was used to, he came to consciousness in his bed with warmth pressed along his side. It took him a moment to remember the events of the previous night, but once he did he was suddenly very awake. 

Kris was still curled against him as he slept, one arm draped loosely over Adam’s chest. Kris looked utterly peaceful and content in his sleep, and Adam could do nothing but watch him for a short while, entranced.

Though he wished it wasn’t so, Adam knew he had to get up and start his work for the day. His injured leg had kept him incapacitated for several days already and he knew he couldn’t afford to lose any more time while the government was still vulnerable from their loss of the mint. He’d been able to walk fine the day before, so Adam knew he had to leave. 

Despite how everything in him screamed to stay there in bed with Kris, to hold him closer, to wait until he awoke and kiss him right away, Adam forced himself to gently untangle himself from Kris and get up from the bed. The bandage around his leg was still clean, meaning he definitely seemed to be healed enough for a simple day of investigative work.

He picked up his clothes from the floor, putting some back on and fishing some new ones out of the chest of drawers to assemble his costume until it was almost complete. He remembered dropping his mask in the living room when he’d first kissed Kris, remembered tossing his gloves on the sofa, and Kris leaving his wig on the table after he’d slid it off while Adam’s head rested in his lap. Adam would have to collect them on his way out. 

Before he went, he stood still beside the bed where Kris still slept. He picked up the notebook that was always in one of the bedside table’s drawers and wrote a brief note, which he left on the table for Kris to find.

Once he’d done that, he kneeled down beside the bed. Kris’ sleeping face was turned in his direction, his naked form tangled up in the blankets. Adam couldn’t help reaching out to gently stroke his hair, and Kris made a soft sound in his sleep.

His hand remained in Kris’ hair for a moment more before Adam was rising and turning to leave. He reset his wig, pulled on his gloves, and replaced his mask before quietly slipping out.


	5. Chapter 5

Kris began stirring a few hours later. He yawned as he stretched out in bed. He winced slightly as he realized he was a little sore, but a moment later he remembered what had caused it and all his other thoughts were drowned out. 

Warmth flooded through him and Kris curled up with a delighted, easy smile covering his face as he recalled every single detail.

Adam removing his mask, Adam surging forward to kiss him, Adam’s rough hands against his bare skin, the incredible force of Adam inside him…

Why had Adam left the bed? There was nothing Kris wanted more than to curl up close to his large, strong body again.

When Kris sat up in the bed, his eyes caught sight of a folded piece of paper atop the bedside table. Kris reached out and opened it. 

My Dearest Kris,  
It disappoints me immensely that I must go out today and therefore must leave your side. I know you’ll be frustrated with me for not waiting until my leg’s completely healed, but I’m afraid I don’t have time like that. Don’t worry, I will return in the afternoon as early as possible and I won’t be doing anything risky. And no matter how much you may think about me today, know that I’ll be thinking of you more. Know that you’ll be on my mind, every second.

Adam

Grinning and his heart doing flips in his chest like a schoolgirl, Kris fell back in bed again, holding the hand-written note close in his hands. He loved seeing that name signed at the bottom of the note, loved the knowledge of what that man’s face looked like. Most of all, he loved knowing that man had trusted Kris with all this knowledge.

It wasn’t until Kris was up, dressed, and cooking breakfast that he started fretting about Adam’s injury. It had definitely looked to be on its way to healing the last time Kris had changed the bandages, but Kris hardly thought Adam was in any condition to be sneaking about the city. Kris went to turn the TV on and put the volume up loud enough so he could pick it up from the kitchen. The last thing he wanted to hear was anything about Adam, but Kris had to be sure. 

The afternoon hours found Kris in the kitchen again, assembling ingredients for a cake. He wondered how Adam kept his kitchen so well stocked, when trips to the grocery store were no simple task. Half of the food items he had weren’t even available in the city’s grocery stories.

This time, Adam didn’t sneak up on him. Kris was giving the batter a few last stirs and then pouring it into the prepared pan when he heard quiet footsteps. Kris smiled to himself.

“Are you terribly angry with me for going out on my leg?”

Kris slid the pan into the oven and set the timer before he turned. Adam was in the doorway, casually leaning against the doorframe and still dressed in his full costume. Kris had never been more attracted to him. (Except perhaps the previous night.)

“Maybe,” Kris replied coyly with a thoughtful expression as he averted his eyes from the other man. “I might feel less inclined towards yelling at you though, if you come over here and take that mask off.”

Following Kris’ words, Adam came farther into the room, moving closer until he was standing just before Kris and Kris had to look up into his face. Kris slowly reached out towards his white mask.

“Can I?” Kris asked, the teasing, chiding tone in his voice replaced by timid caution.

“Of course.”

Kris carefully slid his fingers to the back edges of the mask and then gently pried it away from Adam’s face. 

Those shining eyes came back into view, watching Kris with no small amount of affection. Kris’ eyes quickly traced over his face again, over the dark stretch of his scars too. 

Kris fell in almost immediately.

He reached for Adam at the same time Adam’s arms drew him close, and their lips met in the middle. Still fully outfitted save for his mask, Adam bent over Kris to hold him tightly and slant their bodies closer together. Kris’ arms looped around his neck, his fingers tangling in Adam’s cloak as one deep kiss morphed into an intimate exchange of several.

Kris took on his teasing tone again when their mouths parted, though his smile betrayed him.

“Now get your ass on the couch so I can look at your leg.”

Adam chuckled, stealing one more kiss before he pulled away in the direction of the living room.

“Whatever you say, darling.”

“And maybe, if you didn’t open your wound again, you’ll get some of that cake I just made!” Kris called after him as Adam left the room, leaving Kris with a silly smile and his heart flipping and pounding away far more severely than it had any right to.

Kris came into the living room a few minutes later, outfitted with the first aid box and a plate with both a sandwich and a slice of his freshly baked cake. Adam’s mask, wig, and cloak were piled next to where he sat on the couch, leaning over to examine his leg where it was propped up on the table, his pant leg already rolled up to the knee.

“Let me,” Kris said, hurrying forward when he saw Adam start to reach for the bandages.

Kris set the plate down and opened the first aid box on the table as he kneeled down in front of where Adam sat on the couch. Kris carefully began unwinding the bandages from Adam’s leg. When he carefully peeled the gauze pads away from the wound, they came away with a single red stain and Kris glared up at Adam through his lashes.

“I offer the gravest of apologies for my recklessness,” Adam toned, sounding far too calm and doting.

Kris huffed as he threw away the dirtied bandages and went about wrapping Adam’s wound again. It didn’t really look like the wound had reopened, at least not enough to seriously disrupt his recovery.

Once Kris was finished, he handed Adam the plate of food he’d prepared and Adam thanked him before quickly digging in. After putting the first aid kit away, Kris couldn’t help standing beside the couch, just watching the other man for a few moments.

Now that Kris could see the clear twinkling in Adam’s eyes, the soft upward curve of his lips, he found it incredible how utterly charming and light-hearted he seemed to be without the menacing mask burdening him. Especially considering the horrors of his youth he’d retold for Kris, Adam’s bared countenance was hardly what he had expected. Yet with the way Adam had told his story, vehemently recalling again and again the hatred and vengeance that had filled him, Kris had to wonder – despite how selfish it seemed – whether Adam’s revealed, upbeat nature was only a recent development, and thanks to Kris’ company.

When Adam finally looked up from devouring his sandwich, it was to find Kris staring at him.

“What is it?” he asked after chewing and swallowing. A few more seconds, and he began to grow self-conscious. His smile started to fall. Was it the scars…? He started turning his head away.

Kris quickly reached out and firmly held Adam’s face between his hands. Kris smiled at him and made sure Adam’s eyes took it in before Kris leaned in give him a deep kiss. He pulled back a long moment later still smiling, his thumbs stroking over both scarred and unharmed skin.

“It’s just that I’m still getting used to the mask being gone. I can’t look at you enough.”

Kris fell onto the couch beside Adam, sidling in under his arm. Adam acquiesced immediately, lifting his arm a little so Kris could fit in close. Adam turned on the news as he was obligated to each day, and he and Kris watched together, paying more attention to each other than to the TV as Adam fed Kris a few bites here and there of his food and they laughed together.

“I missed you today,” Adam murmured against Kris’ hair, once their dishes were empty and laid aside, and Kris was leaning in against Adam’s chest with one of the larger man’s arms curled around his shoulders to keep him close.

Kris smiled automatically, leaning his head in farther against Adam’s chest and closing his eyes.

“There wasn’t much to miss,” he replied. “After I got up I was just puttering around in the kitchen, waiting for you to come back.”

I think I’ll always be here waiting, Kris added in his thoughts. He didn’t voice it, not yet, because this was all still a new step in their relationship. He hadn’t even seen Adam’s face enough yet to memorize his features. He hadn’t even used Adam’s name enough yet for the name to be anything less than wondrous.

 

“We should go out somewhere together. It hardly seems fair that you’re always cooped up in here while I go out gallivanting.” 

“Gallivanting? Is that what you’d call risking your life every day to fight the government?”

“More or less.”

Kris laughed, rolling his eyes. “Besides, what do you mean? ‘Go out somewhere together’ sounds like a date at a restaurant or movie or something. Wouldn’t the fact that we’re both wanted make that a little complicated?”

Kris sat up in bed a little, leaning up with his head propped against his hand. The sheets were pulled up over their waists, where Kris had one bare leg thrown across Adam’s equally-bare hip, and one of his hands moved idly back and forth over the other man’s muscular chest. 

“Of course we’re unfortunately barred from the standards, but I could think of something. A rooftop to watch the stars from, for example. I just want to take you out of here, so you can get some fresh air.”

“I really, truly don’t mind staying here, I want you to know. I love it. I love everything about your place here, especially the books. I know I’m safe here, and since this is where you are, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Adam’s lips stretched into a smile, crinkling the scar tissue at the right corner of his mouth. He reached up to stroke a fingertip along the shape of Kris’ cheek. 

“I’d still be with you if I take you outside somewhere, and you know you’d still be safe.”

“That’s true…” Kris leaned down to settle against Adam’s chest. The other man’s arms came around him, one hand sliding up and down the stretch of Kris’ back. “That does sound like it could be nice, if you wanted to take me somewhere,” Kris said softly, his eyes closed and every inch of him relaxed in perfect contentment and relaxation as his body stretched out over Adam’s. 

They’d finished making love for the second time just minutes before. Adam had attempted to lift Kris up from the couch and carry him to the bedroom, but as soon as Kris had realized what he was trying to do, he’d leapt up onto his feet and scolded Adam for almost straining his injury like that. Adam had laughed to himself and stepped forward to kiss Kris quiet.

“I was trying to add to the mood,” Adam murmured between deep kisses. “The mood which you were just ruining.”

“Well excuse me for caring about your wellbeing more than you do.” 

“I suppose it’s a good thing one out of the two of us does. Although I must admit that right now, my injury is at the absolute farthest reaches of my attention.” Adam’s arms snaked around Kris’ waist, drawing him closer as he kissed him again. 

“Mmm..there’s an entirely…different kind of wellbeing on your mind now,” Kris purred, sliding one hand down to the front of Adam’s black pants. 

“You know me too well.”

“Lucky for you, I’ll care for your wellbeing in that category too.”

“You are far too good to me, although now is hardly a time I’d be launching complaints.”

They had both already lost their shirts by the time they finally reached the bed. Adam had laid Kris out and prepared him slowly and deeply while peppering kisses all across his skin. Adam had been mouthing at Kris’ hipbone and slowly sliding three slicked fingers all the way in and out of Kris before Kris had clutched Adam’s hair with a begging gasp, his hips bucking as Adam’s rough fingertips caressed his prostate. 

A minute later, his legs were clutching Adam closer where they were wrapped around him, and Kris’ fingers were leaving red marks along Adam’s arms as Adam drove deeply into him again and again - but the best part was looking up into Adam’s bared, flushed face above him – watching Kris with attentive, passionate eyes. 

Now, as they laid out in relaxed calm, their pulses and muscles still recovering, Adam began considering all the secret, beautiful corners of the city he could take Kris to. He knew this city inside out, especially all its hidden workings and passageways, and he started planning what he wanted to show Kris first. 

“Maybe we can go tomorrow evening. As long as nothing unexpected happens, I won’t have anything to do then.”

“Sounds perfect.”

 

“You’re sure we don’t need to bring anything?” Kris asked again. Adam chuckled as he fit his mask down over his face.

“I’m sure. Bringing bags along proves disadvantageous when we’re trying to sneak around avoiding notice, and we will have to sneak, you know. You’ll have to follow me carefully, step exactly where I step, do exactly what I do.”

“I know,” Kris said with a nod. “Man, we can’t even have a nice calm night out,” Kris joked.

“I’m afraid that’s part of the deal with me,” Adam said, his voice muffled by his mask again for the first time in days. Kris already missed seeing his face.

“Why do you always wear the mask and full costume every time you go out? Wouldn’t it make you more conspicuous, since that’s what they know to look for?”

“On the contrary, I find it safer. I stick to one image, one face, except for the rare cases when I need to be completely undetectable – such as going after top-secret government intel. Above all I always avoid being stopped or captured, no matter whether I’m in the costume or not, but just in case a rare instance of the unexpected happens, it’s a lot less harmful for me if I’m just ‘A’ again, no confusion that there might be others working with me, or any hints as to my identity.”

“What about that time I saw you at a rally? Way before the Banking building and before I even knew you?”

“When I don’t want to be seen at a rally, that’s one of the rare instances when I dress down, since all the people there are expressly looking for my costume.”

“Why is it so important to you that your identity’s a secret? Would they even still have records of the prisoners at that facility you were at? Would your name mean anything to them?”

“Those are all questions with answers I don’t know, and that’s why I have to make sure I don’t play around with any of them. With the monsters in power, you never know what they could do if they matched my identity. Plus, that experimental facility where I was held, where they were testing biological weapons, it’s been kept a strict secret from the public. If they found out there’s a survivor who knows its secrets, I can’t predict what they’d try to do to me then. Basically it’s all a lot of unknown factors, and my work’s a lot simpler if I stay completely anonymous for as long as possible.”

“Makes sense…,” Kris said with a thoughtful nod before looking up. “We can go now, if you’re ready,” he said with a smile, stepping up to take Adam’s gloved hand between his own. 

“You’re in good shoes, right? I’m sure you remember the tricky way out.”

“Mmhm. I’m ready.”

Adam guided Kris through the doorway behind the painting in the hall and up onto the dark train tracks. He helped Kris out of the small passage before replacing the lift-away rails that covered it. 

“We’re going to go a different way out,” Adam said, guiding Kris by the hand. 

After that, he led them up towards street level, then through back passages, alleyways, and slowly up through abandoned buildings and skyscrapers. This was only the second time Kris had been out and about with ‘A’, but now was the first time he could really marvel and enjoy the wonder of it. It was incredible, how Adam traveled through all these hidden back passageways that made up a secret city in themselves – places Kris would never have thought to explore or venture into, even after living in the city his whole life long. 

The place they finally settled was the roof atop one of the city’s tallest buildings. When they stepped up onto the rooftop, Kris’ steps paused in wonder. 

He could see out over almost the entire city. He could see the cars and trucks whizzing by on the far-down streets, the windows and glass exteriors of skyscrapers in every direction glimmering in the evening sun, and past the silhouettes of the farthest buildings, the sun was beginning to set in an incredible splattering of reds and oranges.

“Looks like I got the timing right,” Adam said with a smile in his voice even though the mask hid it from view. From behind Kris, he gently slid his arms around the smaller man’s frame. “I come here when I need to be reinspired, whenever I start to grow weary or lose heart. I look out over everything, and I’m reminded how beautiful this city can be. When it’s left to the hands of the people walking those streets and driving those cars, the common people who live and love here, this city has such potential for good.”

After looking out for a few more moments, almost speechless, Kris finally spoke softly, “You put so much faith in them. I hope they can really fulfill everything you work for on their behalf. I hope they don’t disappoint you.”

Adam turned Kris to face him. Kris looked up into the familiar mask as the backs of Adam’s gloved fingers caressed once across Kris’ cheek. 

“They haven’t so far, and ever since I met one in particular, my belief in their goodness and my care for them has become stronger than I ever thought it could.”

With a wobbly smile, Kris reached up to hold the other man’s hand against his cheek.

“Wait here just a moment,” Adam said, “I’ll fetch us something to eat and then we can settle down for the sunset. It’s truly spectacular from here.” 

“Something to eat? From where?” Kris immediately started to ask, puzzled. A gloved finger over his lips silenced him.

“Just stand fast for a few minutes. Don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

Even as he was speaking, Adam began moving backwards towards the edge of the rooftop, where they’d reached the rooftop from a small flight of stairs. Kris watched as he leapt down, bypassing the stairs and disappearing from view. Kris just stared after him with a mindless fond smile for a moment. 

Soon, he turned back to appreciate the incredible view. From this rooftop, it was like standing above the entire world - As if he existed wholly separate from the everyday concerns of the streets far below. Kris realized it was a good way to describe the time he spent with ‘A’ – with Adam. When Kris was together with him, he took Kris completely away from the charmless way of life Kris had previously taken as compulsory. Being shuffled through an endless supply of unfulfilling, demeaning jobs, being deprived of any opportunity to explore romance or find a partner… They were parts of life Kris had tried for years to resign himself to and make the most of.

Now they had no more sway over him, were no more meaningful than the ant-sized, trifling hustle and bustle so far below.

“The view’s a lot better when you’re included in it.”

Kris turned towards Adam’s voice close behind him. When he did, he saw a sizeable basket hanging from the man’s right hand.

“I must admit a weakness for Italian food, which has led me to find the best Italian restaurants in the city. Luckily, most of the best places happen to be owned by wealthy political figures, giving me no reason to feel guilty over an occasional meal out.”

“Wait…is that how you get food supplies for your home too?”

“It’s how I get any supplies I need. They’re rolling in so much wealth and riches, they don’t even notice.” Kris heard ‘A’ take a deep, slow breath. “But let’s leave talk of all that. This place and this evening is supposed to be the haven from those matters.” 

Kris spoke his agreement, and let Adam guide them to sit together. Adam opened the basket, then Kris watched in amazement as he laid out a cloth before them and atop it placed two containers of incredible-looking linguini, a box of tiramisu, a smaller box of chocolates, silverware, two glasses, and a bottle of wine.

“Forgive me for forgoing the china dishes.”

Kris laughed aloud, in disbelief. “How did you… How did you fit it all in there, and in these neat boxes? And a whole wine bottle?”

“I have my ways. You should know by now I’m a master of getting in and out of places unnoticed.”

Kris shook his head, laughing because he simply didn’t know what he could say. “Do you do this a lot?” he asked. “Gourmet dinners on the government’s tab?”

“Never to eat anywhere outside my home. This is a special occasion for you.”

“For me?” Kris cleared his throat against his speechlessness. “This is amazing…completely amazing and thoughtful and…thank you.”

“I think more credit is due to the no doubt underpaid cooks who prepared everything. Either way, think of this as my inadequate attempt to reciprocate all the cooking you’ve been doing for me. I hope you enjoy it.”

“I have no doubt I will.” Kris reached out for his pasta and his smile grew when he popped the lid and the delicious aroma reached his nose. He dug in while Adam poured wine for him. 

“You do this date thing pretty well. Then again it seems like you do everything well, so maybe I should have expected as much, but I have to admit you really surprised me with this.”

“It is the first time since my teenaged years that I’ve had the chance to practice any romance. I’m glad I haven’t become completely useless in that department.”

Kris’ chewing slowed and he stared in Adam’s direction until he swallowed his food. “I can’t think of anything that’s a greater shame.”

“What?”

“That you’ve had to go so long without somebody. Without anyone…since your family.”

There was a moment of heavy silence that settled between them, before Kris quickly shook his head in attempt to clear his words.

“No, forget it. Forget I said that. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is we’re here together right now.” Kris smiled a bit as he scooted closer, reaching to cover one of Adam’s gloved hands with one of his own. “And you need to take off your mask so I can feed you some pasta and we can do this date right.”

Adam paused, silent and still for a beat, and Kris worried Adam was still hung up on what he had said. Then Adam spoke up, “I’m not sure how much I like the idea of taking off my mask when we’re outside.”

“Then why did you bring two portions? C’mon…no one could possibly see us up here,” Kris said, stroking his fingers against the edge of the mask. “Please?”

Another long moment of silence, and then Adam finally relented.

“Alright,” he said with the hint of a smile in his voice as he reached up to remove the mask from his face. 

Kris’ eyes were quick and eager to find Adam’s as soon as the mask dropped. Kris smiled right away as his fingers reached Adam’s skin. He slowly slid his arms up around Adam’s neck as he leaned in to press his lips to Adam’s slowly, kissing him deeply while Adam’s hands fell to his waist. Kris rested his forehead against Adam’s once he drew back, grinning with a smile Adam’s face mirrored.

“Now it’s a real date.”

After sharing all the food between the two of them, they settled back to watch the rest of the sunset. Adam replaced his mask, just for the piece of mind. Kris didn’t protest. He leaned into Adam’s side, comforted by the warmth and strength neighboring his own body.

The sunset was nothing short of splendid, just as Adam had said, ut it started to grow chillier as the sun dipped lower and lower. Kris couldn’t hold back the shivering when it began.

“Are you cold?” Adam asked when he began to feel Kris shivering against his side.

“Just a little,” Kris tried to reassure him.

“Here,” Adam offered, lifting the ends of his cloak pooled behind him to drape it over Kris’ shoulders.

Kris smiled as he pulled the large cloak tighter around himself. “Thank you,” he murmured, smiling softly into the face of Adam’s mask.

“Of course.”

Kris settled back in against Adam’s side, with the cloak now wrapped around both of them. Adam made sure to keep his arms around Kris to keep him warmer.

It was without doubt the best sunset Kris had ever seen.

 

Once night fell, Adam and Kris made their way back through the city’s back passageways. Yet again, Kris had no hope of keeping track of where they were or where all these back passageways and staircases led. He just held tight to Adam’s hand, knowing the other man would lead them safely back home. Sure enough, they were sneaking into the abandoned train station only a short while later, and Kris was pushing the painting-door open not long after.

The evening wasn’t quite over yet, as Adam pulled Kris into the little round room with the jukebox.

“Do you remember when I asked you to dance with me here?”

“Of course,” Kris said with an automatic smile. “It seems like so long ago now.” 

Kris would never forget those minutes, when he’d stood so close to ‘A’, looking up into his mysterious mask and feeling his strong, warm hands holding Kris near him.

“Would you give in to the request a second time?” Adam asked from where he was standing beside the jukebox, already fingering the buttons to find the same song they’d danced to before.

“Jeez, you don’t have to ask so formally. Of course I’d love to.”

The familiar tune started playing through the tinny little speakers, but few sounds had ever made Kris smile more, or a feeling of such strong, warm nostalgia well up in him. 

Once the music was going, Adam came over to stand in front of Kris. When he was standing so close, Kris had to tilt his head back slightly so he could look up into Adam’s masked face. Kris was already smiling, though something wasn’t quite right. He knew exactly how to fix it.

Kris reached up towards the mask slowly, so the other man could stop him if he wanted to. Adam remained silent, letting Kris slowly pry the mask away from his face. He was still quiet as his blue eyes and scarred face came into view, but the intensity in his eyes spoke volumes – reminding Kris how much the action, the allowance meant.

Kris swallowed, reaching up slowly to carefully pull off the wig as well. He also unclasped Adam’s cloak, slid off his gloves, and set all of them aside. When Kris stepped back in front of him, Adam immediately reached out to pull him closer, one hand around his waist and the other taking hold of Kris’ hand, bringing him into position.

Kris tried his best to remember the steps as Adam started leading them in a slow waltz. He laughed a little self-consciously as he accidentally stepped on Adam’s feet a few times, apologizing each time.

“It’s fine, don’t worry. Don’t overthink it - just follow me. Feel where I’m stepping, follow where I’m moving.”

Kris stopped staring down at their feet, and instead looked upwards. He tried his best to just relax and move naturally behind his partner’s movements, and sure enough the steps began coming a bit more easily.

“There you go,” Adam said from above him, smiling down at Kris as he continued to lead them.

“I’m getting there.” 

They continued to dance through the remainder of the song, and as the next one began. The steps were coming more easily to Kris now. Adam was right in that the secret really was to not overthink his movements. Instead, Kris just focused on Adam’s hands guiding him, on his face there before him, and following his steps in the dance became as natural as everything else seemed to whenever Kris was near him.

“You know, I can never forget the first time we did this.”

“The first time we danced?”

“It was the first time I realized…how attracted to you I really was.”

Adam’s mouth lifted into a smile, his eyes growing softer as he gazed at Kris.

“For my part, I realized that long before.” 

“It’s so much easier now,” Kris murmured, sliding his hand upwards from Adam’s shoulder to touch his uncovered cheek. “It was hard to believe myself before, when all I could see was your mask…hard to believe that I really cared about you as much as I did. But just from getting to know you, without even seeing you, I really did become so attached to you – even though it seemed impossible. It took the time I spent at home, miserable, to finally figure it all out.”

“Kris…” Adam pulled Kris in closer, letting go of his hand in favor of curling both arms around him to hold him close against himself. “I missed you more than I’d care to admit during those weeks. I kept cooking meals for two without realizing what I was doing, and I couldn’t bring myself to start sleeping in the bed again after it had been yours.”

“My apartment seemed so empty, too. It was strange and so lonely living alone, even though I’d lived that way for so long before we met.”

“Neither of us knew what we were missing, it seemed.”

The jukebox played on into a slower song. The dancing pair slowed their movements, swaying to the gentle beat. Kris’ head found its place against Adam’s shoulder with his arms looped around Adam’s midsection while Adam held him close. Adam’s cheek rested atop Kris’ head, his eyes half closed as he savored each moment with Kris’ warm, perfectly sized body fit right against him.

“You know, when I’m here holding you like this, the city above seems so far away. Almost like…nothing going on up there matters.”

Kris stayed silent, tightening his arms a little to hold Adam more tightly. He felt the taller man take a deep breath, his cheek rubbing a little against the top of Kris’ head.

“Everything seems so peaceful when you’re here with me. The desperation that’s been my only companion for so long is finally calmed, even if only for the moment.”

Kris tipped his head up just the slightest bit from where it rested on Adam’s shoulder.

“Hopefully for more than just the moment.” 

Kris burrowed his head in closer, and Adam’s arms tightened around him. 

“Let’s go to bed,” Kris added, “So you can hold me all night.” 

Adam kissed the top of his head lightly, still marveling at the way Kris fit into his arms so perfectly. 

“There’s no other way I’d want to end my days anymore.” 

 

The next morning, Kris was curled up on the couch with a book when Adam came in to leave a kiss on the top of his head.

“I’m afraid I’ll be gone for most of the day today,” he said as he fit his mask on to complete his costume.

“You’ll be safe, right? Not doing anything too dangerous?” Kris reached out to grab and hold one of Adam’s gloved hands for a moment. 

“No, nothing too bad. You might want to turn the TV on in about two hours. I plan to do a broadcast.”

“Alright. Just be careful.”

“I will.” He gave Kris’ hand a squeeze before letting go. “I’ll see you later.”

Kris made himself busy until the broadcast, finishing his book and then cooking in the kitchen for a while. He kept the TV on in the living room with the volume up, so he could hear from the kitchen when the static started that indicated ‘A’ cutting into the signal. As soon as Kris heard it start, he threw down his oven mitts and rushed to the living room.

When ‘A’ appeared on screen, he was sitting at the same desk he’d made previous broadcasts from. But this broadcast left Kris shell shocked like none had before.

 

“Greetings, my brothers and sisters of this great city. By now, I trust you all recognize my face, and know that everything I do, I endeavor on behalf of all of you. For too long have we slaved under the ever-growing forces of corruption and cruelty. For too long have the leaders of our city been permitted to abuse their power in the manners most profitable for themselves alone. My friends, the time has come to finally put a stop to these atrocities. 

“I pray you all understand by now that I am one of you, that I fight against our oppressors because I too have suffered as all of you do each and every day – and for no legitimate cause or crimes of our conscience. Therefore, I ask you all to unite and stand with me on the date one week from today, when I will take up the final action to complete my duty to this city and all its people – to all of you. 

“On that day, I will put an end to our government’s tyranny. No leader should live indifferent to the wellbeing of his people, and the time is long overdue that the prime minister should meet justice. Much will change if the prime minister is removed and the current government meets its end, and the struggle to do so will not be an easy one. But I believe that the time has come for us to throw off our shackles and claim this victory for ourselves. I’ve said before that our government underestimates the power of its people, and I still believe that failing is what will lead to their downfall. With all of your wills behind me, and your readiness to fight back against the government that has mistreated and deceived you for all these years, we can win together. We can help this city find its way back to the right path.”

 

Kris was still sitting in front of the TV, staring in the direction of the screen with a shocked expression, when Adam crept back in from behind the portrait in the hall and found Kris in the living room.

“Did you see it?”

Kris spun around, immediately jumping to his feet and rushing over to him with wild eyes.

“I don’t understand! Why would you do that? Why would you announce when you’re making your final and most important move? Why give them the chance to prepare for it?”

Seeing how obviously distressed Kris was, Adam quickly reached out to cup his hands around each side of Kris’ head and stroke his hands down to his neck.

“Because this is about more than just what I’m doing alone, this is a movement involving all the people. If I figured out a way to depose the prime minister and destroy the government, I can’t just finish my work whenever it’s convenient for me or whenever I like to, it has to happen at the time that’s right for the people. I’m not going to be the one to carry this city onward to find its new path afterwards; that job will belong to the people. It’s their city. I’m just clearing the obstacles so they can do what they should have had the chance to do from the beginning – to choose for themselves the government that will sustain them.”

Kris was shaking his head slightly, his eyes watering.

“But you’re going to be the one on the front lines, you’re going to be the one risking your life. Your job was always the hardest and now they know you’re coming…”

“Shh…” Adam tried to soothe him as he watched Kris getting himself more worked up. Kris’ shoulders were shaking as he took shuddering breaths, trembling as the tears welled up in his eyes. Adam gently hushed him again, drawing Kris closer into his arms. This reaction wasn’t what he’d been expecting, and he didn’t know quite what to do to soothe Kris. 

Kris clung to him, burying his face against Adam’s shoulder as he fought against the frightened tears. “When you announced before that you were going after the prime minister, I was already so-..so scared for you. Now everything’s so much more dangerous for you… You plan things this way so you do the most good for the people, but you’re the one who’ll be in danger, and when I’m so worried and scared about whether you’ll be safe, I can’t think about anything else.”

Adam was taken aback. Of course he’d expected Kris to worry about him, but not quite like this. He realized that Kris regarded his life and safety quite differently than Adam did himself. After losing his family and all remnants of his younger life with them, after practically dying in that government testing facility and the injuries and scarring he sustained during his escape, it was hard to think of himself as really fully alive anymore. He’d been able to so single-mindedly train his body and boldly begin his crusade because he’d had nothing left to lose. The only purpose, the only value in his disfigured life had been to embody retribution for the government’s crimes.

At least, that’s what he’d thought for a long time, until Kris came into his life.

Holding Kris’ shaking form in his arms, Adam was made keenly aware of how differently Kris viewed his life. To Kris, Adam was just as much a full, real person as the citizens who walked the street, and his life equally as valid and precious. Adam had lived so recklessly and haphazardly for so long, it was shocking to realize his life held so much value to someone.

And since Kris meant so much to him, Adam couldn’t disregard that value Kris placed in his life and the fear obviously plaguing him.

“Kris,… Kris, listen to me.” Adam was still speaking through his mask, but his mouth was just beside Kris’ ear. “I’ll admit I made these plans a long time ago, back before you and I became close like this. And maybe, when I planned this, especially since it would be the last action to fulfill my goal, I was more reckless than I should have been. Maybe I didn’t give enough consideration to my safety.”

Kris was still clinging to him just as tightly as before, and Adam could still feel him trembling slightly, even though his shaky breathing had quieted. Adam could barely process all the emotions assaulting him as he stood there holding Kris, but most of all, he berated himself for making Kris afraid like this, for making Kris almost cry, and yet that bitterness towards himself for his thoughtlessness rivaled his incredulity that he and his life could really mean so much to Kris.

He pulled back slightly so he could see Kris’ face, and lift up a hand to touch his cheek. Kris’ eyes were dry, but his face still looked just as pained.

“Right now, you remind me of myself, during that terrible week when you were being held in that prison. I spent every minute while you were there in agony, blaming myself and frantically trying to plan a way to get you out. That week was one of the worst of my life, and I could never put you through anything like that.” He looked down for a moment, finding Kris’ hands to hold them between his own. “If me being in danger really frightens you so much, you can be assured that’s a reason in itself that I’ll look after myself more closely.”

“You damn well better,” Kris breathed, squeezing Adam’s hands tightly. “The time you got captured,…god, it was the worst night of my life.” Kris took a deep, wobbly breath and looked up to the taller man’s face. 

“Take off your mask,” he said firmly. “I have to see it in your eyes, that you mean it.”

Adam acquiesced, reaching up to pull the mask away so Kris could see him eye to eye. 

Kris let out a loud rush of breath when he saw the bared face of the man he knew he loved and couldn’t live without. He threw his arms up around Adam’s neck again, holding onto him with all of his strength. Adam let his head rest down against Kris’ shoulder as he held Kris in return, doing his best to commit this moment and this feeling to memory for good.

 

Adam shifting in bed roused Kris from sleep early the next morning. Kris made a soft grumbling sound as his eyes sleepily blinked open. Adam looked down at him from where he was standing beside the bed, gathering his clothes.

“Sorry for waking you, I needed an early start today.” Adam leaned down over the bed to press his lips to Kris’ forehead and then to his lips, kissing him back asleep. “Go back to sleep, love. I’ll be out for most of the day.”

Kris mumbled something as he rolled over, wrapping himself up in the blankets. It sounded something like ‘be safe.’

Adam finished getting dressed as quietly as he could before leaving with one more fond look towards Kris in the bed.

 

Kris had gotten into the habit of letting the news play in the background whenever Adam was out. Their fabrications were always too aggravating to give his full attention to, but Kris just liked the reassurance that whatever Adam was out doing, he wasn’t garnering attention and the heightened danger that came with it.

While Kris sat on the couch reading, a news story caught his attention and he reached for the remote to turn up the volume.

“Today marks the fourteenth documented case of a patient being checked into a hospital with the same symptoms of a yet-unidentified illness. Doctors are struggling to identify the contagions causing the outbreak, and what exactly the disease and its remedy are. Observed symptoms shared by all the patients include a high fever, severe weakness or confusion, and an inability to retain fluids, a few cases of which have been life threatening. We will keep you up to date with this development.”

Kris frowned as he turned the volume back down. With the government always enough to worry about already, the last thing anyone needed was a new source of fear. A disease wasn’t anything ‘A’ could stop. It wasn’t anything he could plan for, but it was something that could so easily threaten him, all the people he fought for, and all the plans he had spent years working towards. He was less than a week away from the culmination of all his work, and now a complication had emerged.

 

“Do you know about the illness that’s broken out?” Kris asked as he and Adam set the table for dinner that evening. “I saw a news story about it today. If they’re telling the truth, there have been fourteen documented cases so far, and they’ve all been hospitalized.”

“I did hear something about it today while I was out. It was hard not to, hospitals and pharmacies all seemed to be frenzied. I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on,” Adam responded, his face visibly concerned. Kris was still getting used to how great it was to be able to see the emotions plain as day on his face, rather than just the stoic mask. 

Adam went on, “It’s strange that there have been that many sudden hospitalizations in such a short time. And I’m afraid it could mean there are dozens of undocumented cases along with them, outside the hospitals.”

“Does this get in the way of your plans?”

Adam frowned, “Obviously the timing’s not optimal, but illness never is. I’ll just pray it won’t become any kind of epidemic and go on the best I can. I won’t let the government profit from this misfortune.” He paused to look over at Kris. “And I’ll have to be more careful. Between now and next week, I won’t leave other than when it’s strictly necessary. Becoming ill myself will certainly throw a wrench into my plans and more importantly, I don’t want to risk exposing you to anything I might carry back with me.”

“You missed the part where you’re concerned for your own health,” Kris said with his hands on his hips in a mock scolding manner.

“That too of course,” Adam conceded, quirking a smile.

 

Adam and Kris were sitting in the living room together when another news story about the mysterious disease came on. Adam immediately reached for the remote to turn up the volume, and they both sat up from where they’d been tangled together on the sofa.

“Since our previous report, the number of people admitted to hospitals with related symptoms has grown at an alarming rate surprising even the medical experts. At this point, there are at least fifty patients fighting the same unidentified illness, and more reports just keep flooding in. As of now, at least six patients have passed away. Doctors and researchers are working around the clock in attempt to battle the ever-worsening symptoms.”

The screen changed to focus on a young anchorwoman with a mask over her mouth and nose, reporting from the hospital with the most admitted patients. She had a few quick words with a doctor, before paying visits to several patients’ rooms. Some of them were healthy enough to tell her about their symptoms. Others could do nothing but moan from where they lay motionless in their beds.

“Oh God…,” Kris breathed, swallowing hard as he barely managed to keep watching.

“Here to give you an update on the research progress is Doctor Reese, who’s been leading the effort to learn about this mysterious outbreak.”

The screen panned to a middle-aged woman in a white doctor’s coat. She was sitting at a desk with papers spread before her and the government news channel’s logo plastered behind her. The moment she appeared on the screen, Kris felt Adam stiffen slightly beside him, but his attention remained largely on the screen. The doctor adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose before she began speaking.

“Thank you. Now before anything else, I would like to assure the people watching that everything possible is being done to combat this outbreak. While we’ve never seen any disease quite like this before, it won’t remain a mystery for long. We’re already mastering temporary remedies for the symptoms, and I’m certain a full vaccine won’t be far behind.”

“I know her…” Adam whispered to himself, squinting at the TV screen while every muscle in his body had suddenly gone stiff.

The doctor on screen continued, “My aides and myself are already well into the research and development of a cure, and it will be put into circulation as soon as possible. The government has already provided us with full funding for our research and later for the production of as many vaccines as will be needed. It is clear our government has made all of our safety its top priority, and will stop at nothing until this terrible disease is defeated.”

Adam’s eyes blew wide as he suddenly placed where he recognized the doctor’s face from, and the knowledge hit him like a brick smashed against his head. 

“Oh no no..,, this can’t…this can’t be…” he murmured, his head falling forward into his hands as he started rocking back and forth where he was sitting. Kris turned towards him with concern.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

Adam didn’t lift his head at first. He just kept it there between his hands, muttering to himself. Then, he leaned forward, falling onto his knees and shifting forward until he was in front of the TV.

“I know this doctor,” he whispered, barely loud enough for Kris to hear. “How could I ever forget her face? She was…one of the head doctors at SycMoore - the testing facility where I was held, where they were developing biological weapons and testing them on the prisoners.” Adam reached down to pull up his left sleeve with jerky movements from his shaking hands. “This is from her,” Adam breathed, jabbing almost madly at a dark scar on the inside of his elbow. “From where she’d draw blood every day. Every damn day.”

All the color was beginning to drain from his face, and Kris could see his chest working for breath as if he’d just ended a sprint. “God, Kris…do you know what this means?” His voice had fallen even softer, audibly horrified.

“What?” Kris watched Adam warily; almost afraid to hear exactly what he was going to say.

“It means she – they are behind this breakout. The government planned it. Of course, the timing’s horrifically perfect, when they needed something to take the peoples’ attention away from me and remind them of how good their government can be.” Adam’s voice turned completely loathing, the shake in his hands worsening as he clenched them into fists. “They could do this thanks to that monstrous prison where I was held. There, they were able to figure out this weapon of pure, natural fear.”

That was when Adam visibly started to deflate and weaken, his clenched fists falling limp at his sides as he slumped down onto the floor, his eyes pulled wide and mouth trembling.

“They figured it out thanks to me. I made this possible. Every day that doctor would come take my blood because I was the one still surviving while all the other prisoners died from the illnesses we were all shot up with. Every day, she’d come take my blood because mine was the only one showing promise. Every day, she’d say it was thanks to me that it all wasn’t going to waste…that I was the only one truly aiding my city.

“Of course she’s already well on her way to getting the vaccine, she already has it! It’s the same components of my blood that went into creating the disease!!”

Kris stared, silent as the information sunk in. He had no idea what to say. What could he say? When the unthinkable had been done? He couldn’t even begin to imagine what he’d be feeling in Adam’s situation…

Adam was the one to break the stunned silence. He leapt to his feet and practically threw himself at the bookshelf against the wall nearest to him, heaving it to the floor. The contents – books and small containers and statues – went tumbling and smashing over the floor. The lamp that had stood beside the shelves went crashing down next. 

His face was pure fury as he tore at everything within reach, ripping artwork from the walls and knocking piece after piece of furniture to the floor. 

Instinct called fear to Kris’ mind, but his overpowering horror for what had just been discovered and sympathy for the pain that must be consuming Adam dulled the fear. Kris was left to sit there curled on the couch, eyes wide and shell shocked as Adam treaded over the smashed objects on the floor to send another chair crashing down. A raw cry suddenly escaped Adam in his fury, and it startled Kris into jumping up from the sofa.

“Adam!”

The sudden snap of Kris’ voice seemed to freeze Adam where he stood. His shoulders were heaving, his breathing loud, and his fists clenched to white knuckles. Then the rage in his face suddenly crumbled, and he sunk to the floor.

Kris absolutely hated the heartbreaking helplessness that rushed up on him as he watched Adam fall apart. His face was buried in his gloveless hands as his whole body trembled and shook. 

For the longest time, Kris had wanted nothing more than to know what hid beneath the other man’s costume. He couldn’t have imagined he’d ever have to see Adam’s bared face hold boundless anger and pain like that, or that he’d ever see his naked, marred hands shaking like this.

“They should have killed me,” Adam moaned in a quivering, strengthless voice that tore right through Kris’ heart. “…Should have drained me dry, so my blood wouldn’t be killing innocent people. My blood…my blood,” he whimpered, crumpling more into himself with each passing moment, his fingertips digging into his hair and pulling.

Tears welled in Kris’ eyes. He felt utterly insignificant and helpless in the face of such incomprehensible tragedy and cruelty. Yet, the force of everything he felt for Adam propelled him across the room anyway.

Kris kneeled beside the other man, reaching out to him while trying to ignore the shaking in his own hands. He slowly wrapped his arms around Adam’s quivering shoulders.

“Don’t say that. Please, don’t ever say that…we don’t even know for sure that the disease isn’t natural.”

“It can’t be! Not when the timing benefits them so perfectly to draw everyone away from supporting me. And why should they?” He took a harsh, shaking breath and Kris could feel him jerking with the force of wrenching, silent sobs. “When I’ve enabled their suffering like this?”

“Stop! I’m begging you, stop saying things like that,” Kris pleaded, his voice quaking but firm with his desperation. “You had no idea, you had no control over what they did to you...”

Kris was silenced, painfully struck when Adam shifted towards him slightly, his hands lowering to reveal his face like an impromptu mask he’d clung to for a scrap of protection against the agonizing truth. 

He didn’t lift his head. He didn’t have to for Kris to see that he was weeping.

“Oh, Adam…” Kris whispered, quickly tightening his arms to draw Adam in against him. Kris took a deep breath to stopper his own crying, even as the sight of tears on the other man’s face shook him to his very core. 

“It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault,” Kris started repeating in a soft voice, fearing he was dangerously close to breaking down himself. He clutched Adam tightly to him, cradling his head against his own chest. Adam’s whole body was still shaking as the tears ran down his face.

“No one will ever know,” Kris was saying to him, “You said the government doesn’t even know you’re still alive.”

“I’ll know. I’ll know, Kris,” Adam whispered in a rough, wet voice against Kris’ chest. “And I’ll never be able to forget.”

“You had no part in it,” Kris kept trying as he started gently rocking Adam in his arms. “This is just the government being the monsters they are, doing anything they can to stay in power because they know you’ve put them in danger.”

“Not if I hadn’t threatened them into such terrible desperate measures. Not if I hadn’t given them the key from my blood.”

“Even without you, there would have eventually been a reason for them to use it. And if you’d never been their prisoner they would have kept doing research, kept collecting blood samples, and eventually they would have found what they needed from someone else.” 

Kris pressed his face against Adam’s hair as he continued to hold him, willing what he was trying to convey to get through to Adam.

“None of it’s your fault. It’s just…the worst kind of coincidence that this came from you. Besides, you’ve already atoned for this a hundred times over, in everything you’ve done for this city.”

Kris could feel Adam gradually growing weaker against him, leaning into him little by little until he was completely surrendered in Kris’ arms. His shaking was gradually receding, his body relaxing as the heaving sobs started to dissipate.

Kris just kept holding him there on the floor in the middle of the wrecked room, kept rocking him, whispering into his hair again and again, “It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault, it’s not your fault…” for he didn’t know how long.

 

Adam wasn’t himself during the following few days. Of course Kris tried to be as accommodating and comforting as he could, but he still felt helpless. Adam hadn’t gotten out of bed the day after his terrible discovery. Kris had brought him meals on trays, but Adam had just shaken his head and rolled over, letting the full trays pile up on the bedside table. When the evening hours came and he still hadn’t eaten a bite or moved an inch, Kris sat at the edge of the bed, begging until Adam ate some of the soup Kris had brought. 

Kris spent the day cleaning up all that he could in the living room. Most of the things Adam had torn down were broken, but Kris fixed and replaced what he could. None of it really seemed that important, in comparison with the misery Adam was suffering with and Kris was helpless to abet.

The next day, Adam wouldn’t move from in front of the TV. He insisted on torturing himself with several hours’ worth of news about the growing outbreak of disease. Finally, Kris had forcibly turned off the TV and guided Adam back to bed. It seemed the best place for him at the moment.

Back in bed, Adam curled up without bothering to pull the blankets over himself first. Kris followed, and pulled them up for him. Then he kicked off his shoes and crawled onto the bed behind him. Kris laid down beside him, laying one arm carefully over him. Adam didn’t move, just stayed curled in on himself.

Frowning, Kris tipped his head forward to rest his forehead against the back of Adam’s shoulder. There was nothing he wanted more than to help Adam, but he’d been struggling for words all day and there was still nothing to say.

The next day, Adam started to come alive again. Kris found himself alone in bed when he woke up. Equal parts surprised and worried, Kris immediately got up.

He found Adam doing his workout in the living room, with the remaining furniture pushed against the walls as usual so he’d have space. Hoping it was a sign that Adam was starting to recover, Kris hurried on to the kitchen so he wouldn’t interrupt.

Kris made breakfast for two, except Adam didn’t come to eat. Kris kept telling himself to leave him alone, thinking Adam just needed the space to pull through this as he had everything else in his past. But a few hours passed and Kris could still hear Adam’s panting breathing from down the hall as he bent himself into yet another and another kickboxing sequence or set of pull ups. Then, Kris couldn’t stay away any longer.

“Please eat something,” Kris implored from where he stood just inside the doorway, holding a tray with toast and eggs. Adam was on the floor, snapping himself upwards into sit up after sit up. 

“What good will it do to run yourself into the ground?”

“More good than rotting in bed would.”

“You’ve been at it for hours. Please take a break.”

Adam hooked his arms over his knees and paused mid-sit up. His shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breathing as he just looked up towards Kris for a moment, his eyes piercing.

Kris had to look down, shifting on his feet a little. Adam was naked from the waist up and for the first time, it was hard looking at the expanses of scars and burns. They seemed suddenly too harsh beside the intensity in his gaze.

“Fine,” Adam breathed. He sat up and Kris moved into the room, relieved. 

“Here, I heated everything up again so it should still be warm.”

Kris placed the tray down in front of Adam on the floor. He started eating, and Kris leaned back against the sofa, behind him.

“I’m going to kill him,” Adam started, halfway through the toast. His eyes stayed downcast, but his voice shook with such defiance in the soft-spoken oath, he may as well have screamed it at the top of his lungs. “No matter what it takes. The prime minister and every single one of them, I’m going to destroy them.”

Kris took in a deep, shaking breath, watching Adam’s back with wide eyes. Adam frightened him so much more now than when he’d destroyed half of this room in his helpless rage.

“You can’t forget the promise you made to me, that you’re going to take care of yourself. That you won’t go throwing everything on the line.”

Adam kept chewing the toast. When he finished, he started on the eggs. He didn’t say anything.

 

Adam remained completely withdrawn for the next few days. Kris didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know whether the best way to care for him was to give him space, or try breaking through the pall that had consumed him. Adam spent all his time intermittently in bed, training, and in the small hidden alcove where all of his maps and plans were tacked up on the walls. When Kris made him come sit down for meals, Adam would barely say anything. Kris couldn’t remember a time when they’d ever been so quiet and distant.

The days crept on just as tense in their passing until ‘A’s’ promised deliverance suddenly stood a mere two days away. Kris honestly couldn’t be sure who of the two of them was more apprehensive of its coming. He’d been frightened enough when he’d heard on the broadcast what Adam was finally planning, but now after learning what he’d unintentionally helped the government do, Kris was terrified that Adam couldn’t handle this final task rationally anymore. Kris kept trying to console him, kept reminding him that he’d had no part in the appearance of the disease still ravaging above ground. It seemed Adam was still suffering just as much as when he’d first heard the doctor’s voice on TV, even though he seemed to have confined his torment internally. 

Kris was careful to only turn on the news when Adam was out of earshot. Kris needed to know what was going on, but didn’t want the terrible tragedies of the government’s actions to inflame or hurt Adam anymore. Judging by the little bits Kris was able to catch, it seemed the vaccine had begun circulation. While the numbers of infected people were still high, they were beginning to drop. Kris had no idea what that meant for how the people would react to ‘A’s’ final exploit, and whether the government had succeeded in splintering his support.

 

Adam pushed his barely eaten dinner away, mumbled something that could have been a ‘thank you’ or a ‘good night’, and went right in the direction of the bedroom. 

It was two nights before Adam’s big day, and Kris had become increasingly anxious and fearful. Worry plagued him ruthlessly over how Adam would handle his most difficult and important task yet in this mindset so different from his usual levelheadedness. 

Kris understood that Adam’s mission had always been driven in large part by his own horrific past and his own need for vengeance, but Kris feared that knowing his own blood had helped engineer the government’s disease had pushed him to a place completely dominated by nothing but pain and revenge. Above all, he feared that this final task might prove too heavy, when Adam’s shoulders were already weakened by his pain – this fresh hurt he couldn’t help but be consumed and single-mindedly driven by, even now when the stakes were higher than ever.

Kris didn’t bother cleaning all the dishes. Usually Adam helped him, and he didn’t want to alone. He went straight back to the bedroom.

Adam hadn’t changed, just left his shoes and shirt on the floor before getting in bed. His back was to the door, and the blankets were pulled up only halfway. 

Kris stood in the doorway, twisting his fingers together and knowing he needed to reach Adam, like he’d been trying to for the last few days.

“I’m scared, Adam,” Kris said from the doorway, watching Adam’s unmoving back from where he stood in the doorway, his hands clasped together nervously. “I’m scared that something’s going to happen to you. My heart’s in my throat every time you leave, every time you’re in danger…and in two days you’re facing the most danger yet. I can’t…can’t just sit around here while you go, especially not when you’re in this state, even though I know you can’t help it. I would probably be a terrible wreck if I found out what you did…I don’t think I can even fully imagine what you must be going through, and I don’t understand the best way to help you, but I can’t let you go like this.” 

Kris looked up from the floor and to the bed with a deep breath, to where Adam still hadn’t moved. Kris pressed on; confidant that he was doing what he should, for Adam’s sake.

“I should have asked this long ago, but let me help you. You know by now that you can trust me, that I would do anything to help you. Tell me what I can do.”

Finally, Adam moved. Kris saw his shoulders and then his whole body grow tense. Then he sat up, and looked at Kris – really looked at him, for the first time in days. He suddenly looked more concerned and pained than he had before. Kris’ face fell. That kind of effect wasn’t at all what he intended.

“No Kris, don’t say that,” Adam was saying desperately, getting up from the bed without bothering to put his shirt back on. “They can’t take you from me, too.”

“But how are you going to do all this on your own? Finally take down the prime minister and the whole government, especially now when you’re not yourself?”

“Stop, please,” Adam’s desperate voice fell hushed as he reached Kris and clasped his upper arms. “Don’t talk like that. This is my job, my mission alone. Even though I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re here now and we’re together, it can’t mean any more than that.” 

Kris just looked up into Adam’s eyes anxiously, not quite understanding or relaxed yet. Adam’s face still looked hallowed, his eyes still holding a hint of the pained frenzy he’d been induced with. Looking at his eyes, beside the scars that burdened the right side of his face and weighed down the corner of his right eye, his face looked so harrowed. Kris was about to beg again to let him help with all Adam had to carry, when something seemed to crack behind Adam’s eyes and he drew Kris close with a rush of breath.

“Keeping you safe has become so important to me…I can’t let you get involved with all my dangerous business. You already did once, and I barely made it through.” Adam’s arms tightened and Kris hugged him back, closing his eyes against Adam’s shoulder as his fingers pressed close against the bare skin of Adam’s back. 

“I couldn’t live with myself if anything ever happened to you, especially if it was because of me. Please Kris, you have to stay here when everything’s happening. Here is the only place I know you’ll be safe.”

“But I have to keep you safe, too. Don’t you get it?”

“I do. After you were upset by my broadcast, when I could tell you were so scared…I do.”

Adam pulled back slightly, so he could see Kris’ face. His arms still held him close. 

“I meant what I said that day,” Adam said seriously, some of the light trickling into his eyes again. Kris looked up at him for a long moment, trying to discern what he was seeing in the other man’s eyes. 

It worried him that Adam had become so distant from him before this conversation – that the vengeance and animus really still had such a hold on him. Kris couldn’t really be sure anymore what he was seeing in Adam’s eyes.

Kris surged up to kiss him, going on his toes so he could get his arms around Adam’s neck and kiss him deeply. He relaxed a little when he felt Adam’s arms fitting closely around him and the other man kissing back. 

Things seemed alright when Adam was close and connected with him like this, when Kris could be something else for Adam to focus on and center himself around, rather than the hatred that still ate away at him.

In bed a short while later, Kris laid awake after Adam had fallen asleep. Tangled close together, Kris combed his fingers lightly through Adam’s hair, watching the beautifully peaceful expression on his face as he slept. 

Kris did his best to cherish moments like this – when Adam was not at all lost from him, when it felt like Adam was completely his.

 

The next day went by far too quickly for either of their liking. Adam was much more open and much more himself. Though he still spent a good portion of the day training, he was smiling and speaking to Kris again - the hallow, feelingless ice that had enveloped him melted.

They were getting ready to go to bed, and Kris desperately wished they could still have weeks before tomorrow. Just the idea of what Adam had to do made Kris practically hyperventilate with panic. He had absolutely no clue how he would get through the next day, and just the thought of having to bear it alone seemed too terrible for words.

Once Adam joined him in bed, Kris immediately rolled into his arms, burying his face against Adam’s chest. 

“I’m terrified about tomorrow,” Kris admitted in a tiny, muffled voice against Adam’s chest. “I know I’m not even doing anything, but for you, knowing you’ll be out there…I’m so scared.”

“It’ll be fine, Kris. Everything will be fine. You’ll see,” Adam told him gently, carefully rubbing Kris’ back as he attempted to soothe him.

“Will you tell me exactly what’s happening tomorrow?” Kris lifted his head up so he could turn pleading eyes on Adam. “If I have to stay here the whole time, at least tell me what to expect?”

Adam took a long, calculating breath, his eyes not moving from Kris’ beleaguered expression for a few seconds. He sighed, knowing Kris deserved to hear. 

“I’m going to blow up the Parliament building. I’ve made sure I prepared enough bombs to bring the whole thing down and destroy every inch of it. The bombs will get there from the unused, underground train tracks, much like the one we’re next to now.”

“But…that seems like only a sideshow to getting rid of the real power, disposing the people who wield it.”

“The buildings are the symbols, the figureheads. When the buildings are destroyed, they take down the government’s image – their displays of power and control. Without them, the government has nothing to function behind.”

Kris’ lips were pursed as he stared into Adam’s face. Adam reached up to comb his fingers through Kris’ hair, silently wishing Kris wouldn’t ask more questions even though he knew he would, just as he knew he himself would feel obliged to answer them.

“But you’ve been talking about getting to the prime minister himself, about really ending everything. That can’t be all, I know it’s not.”

Adam sat up a little beneath Kris, letting his hand fall away from Kris’ hair.

“I’ve made a kind of under the table deal…with the prime minister’s chief of staff, Jeffery Crowely. He’d be next in line to take power if something were to happen to the prime minister, so it figures he’d be willing to make a deal with me…to help me assassinate the prime minister by delivering him to me tomorrow.”

Kris’ eyes practically turned to saucers. “What? How can you trust him? How can you rely on him at all?”

“I don’t. I’m relying on his fear of me, and his greed for power. Our agreement is supposed to be that he would deliver the prime minister to me, I’ll put a bullet through his head, and in return I would disappear and never act against the new prime minister’s regime. Of course, that whole deal will never come to fruition. I believe he wants power for himself badly enough that he’ll make good on bringing me the prime minister, but there’s no way he’ll be inclined to let me leave afterwards. Then I’ll break my side of the bargain in turn by getting rid of him. I’ll make him leave the city for good, or kill him if I have to.”

Adam could see a myriad of troubled expressions working across Kris’ face as he processed what he’d just been told. Adam reached up to stroke his face lightly.

“It’s almost finished, Kris. I’ve made it this far, just one more day and then this will all be over.”

Kris’ nose was furrowed, his eyes clouded, and Adam could see how much difficulty he was having swallowing this and accepting it. 

Kris suddenly fell down against Adam’s chest, and Adam’s arms automatically came around him.

Kris’ voice came from where his face was hidden, his shoulders hunched, “This is different, tomorrow, this is bigger. I know you’ve always been able to handle yourself before, but I’m just…I’m so scared for you. I’ve only just found you…I’ve only just got you as my own. If I lose you now, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“I have you to care about now, Kris. I know that I have you here waiting for me, being afraid for me…caring for me. And that…that means more to me than I could ever fully explain to you, Kris. And I won’t forget that. Because of that, I’ll fight my way out of whatever awaits me tomorrow, no matter what it is. No matter what happens.”

Kris believed the words, he really did. When he lifted his head to find Adam’s eyes, he couldn’t find anything but honesty and care in their blue depths. He just couldn’t stop worrying whether they’d survive. He knew Adam cared for him, he knew Adam meant these promises every time he voiced them, but Kris also knew the life-long wrongs and abuses and injustices he suffered ran all the way down to his bones. They’d left their brand as deep as they could reach, and Kris couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t take control of him when his fight came down to the wire. 

 

At some point they started kissing, and there was an added urgency about it that neither wanted to acknowledge nor could deny. Once Adam was pressing inside Kris, they clutched each other as tightly as they could, trying to breathe each other in through their joined mouths and keep every inch of their bodies connected.

 

Later, as they laid together, Kris felt the need to hold Adam extra tightly, to keep him extra close in light of what was awaiting the next day. His head rested on Adam’s shoulder, all his limbs thrown over Adam’s body as Adam’s arms kept him close and his chin rested atop Kris’ head.

“Explain to me exactly what’s going to happen tomorrow?”

“I’ll be up and about in the morning, laying down the final arrangements to make sure nothing goes amiss. At 5 PM, three cargo trains will leave from three different stations. Each will be filled with explosives. By 5:30, they will have blown up the treasury building, the prime minister’s residence, and the commanding military headquarters. At 10 PM, my meeting with the chief of staff is planned, where the prime minister will be assassinated. If all goes well, one final cargo train will be departing at midnight, for the only government building that will still be standing – Parliament.”

 

Adam woke up and dressed silently when dawn broke. When Kris woke, Adam was already gone. He sat up in bed, his legs bent and his head propped between his arms, and stayed there unmoving as the minutes clicked by, the farthest thing from his concern. After a while he finally looked to the bedside table, to the spot where Adam’s mask usually rested. The empty spot.

Kris knew it would be a day of nothing but torturous anxiety and worry. He tried to tell himself he’d had plenty of those before, but he knew today would be an entirely different struggle.

He laid back down in bed, closing his eyes and pulling the blankets over his head in a vain attempt to block out the world. Even still, it was better than trying to get up and go about the day in any normal manner. He already knew that would be impossible.

Sleep didn’t come. Naturally, it refused to return. Kris finally moved to the living room couch after long enough, shuffling through the hallway with the blanket still wrapped around him and trailing on the floor. 

He reached for the television remote. He already knew his nerves wouldn’t thank him for this, but there was no way he would make it through today without turning it on. 

According to the news, so far it was business as usual up on street level. Adam had announced to everyone that this was meant to be his final and greatest feat yet, but it looked like his plans hadn’t been set in motion yet, and the government were going to pretend for as long as they could that there was nothing out of the ordinary going on. 

Kris curled up on the couch with all the blankets piled on top of him. It seemed he would spend the rest of the day right here, for lack of the ability to do much of anything else. 

It wasn’t until a few hours later that the news began running anything other than everyday, uninteresting stories. A breaking news report made Kris bolt upright, his eyes gradually growing wider and heart beating faster as he listened.

“In light of the anticipated crimes the terrorist ‘A’ has marked the city as victim to today, our police force has taken added precautions to protect the people’s safety. These precautions include taking into custody any known supporters of the terrorist, or people with any connections to his possible accomplice, Kris Allen. Those taken into protective custody include Cale Mills and Charles Browder, who were identified as likely accomplices as well thanks to their close ties with Kris Allen. They are expected to be released, should substantial new information be found regarding Kris Allen, or he be taken into custody himself.”

“What?” Kris whispered, staring at the television in numbed shock. “W-what…?”

Kris jumped to his feet and started pacing, so he wouldn’t have a meltdown right there on the couch. He tried his best to take deep, slow breaths, and clutched his hands together in attempt to stop their shaking. He closed his eyes tightly, trying desperately to think and not panic.

The government was obviously fishing for whatever advantage they could find today. Apparently they had identified Kris as the weaker access point to foiling ‘A’s’ schemes, and were using Cale and Charles as bait. Kris couldn’t understand why they would think he would betray any of ‘A’s’ plans to them now, when he hadn’t given them a scrap of information before even under pain of torture. 

“This is different…” Kris murmured, sinking back down onto the sofa with a distraught expression. “This is their safety at risk…my best friends. I dragged them into this.”

But he could never betray Adam. He couldn’t get in the way of his work. 

Kris bent forward, his head falling into his hands. 

When he’d been held in the prison before, he’d barely known answers to any of their question. Now he knew almost everything they would want. ‘A’s’ past, his name, his plans…

“Fuck,” he whispered, shaking. 

He thought back to exactly what the reporter had said on the breaking news report, struggling to remember her words exactly. “They are expected to be released, should substantial new information be found regarding Kris Allen, or he be taken into custody himself.”

The way that sounded, maybe it would be enough if they only had Kris in custody. Maybe they viewed him as a threat providing ‘A’ active aid, rather than as an informant. Maybe they would release Cale and Charles as soon as they had Kris, then they could ask all the questions they want and Kris’ lips wouldn’t budge. 

Maybe, maybe, maybe. Really, Kris had no idea what they wanted or what would satisfy them. But he did know that the second he left here, he’d be threatening Adam with ruin. If Kris was captured, he’d be leverage for them to use against Adam. And once Adam found out Kris was outside and in danger, coming after him would interfere with all of Adam’s plans.

Kris covered his face with his hands as his breathing turned shaking and damp. His best friends – who had been there for him through everything, had brought comfort and happiness back into his life after drifting through foster home to foster home – they were innocent, they had nothing to do with any of this. How could Kris sit here and let them be dragged into danger? There was no telling what the government believed Cale and Charles’ involvement might be, no telling what they might do to Kris’ best friends…

That hour was one of the worst of Kris’ life, behind only when his family had been declared dead after the car accident, and when he’d believed Adam was captured and soon to be killed. This time, the tragedy was his fault, and it fell on his shoulders to decide what to do about it. 

Another breaking news report was the only thing to interrupt Kris’ painful deliberations. Kris turned up the volume, terrified of what he might hear this time. 

“A disastrous fire has broken out in the east side of the city. The fire department is doing everything they can to fight and contain the flames, but a necessary evacuation has been ordered of the entire east side.”

The east side was where ‘A’s’ underground hideout was. It was where Kris sat right now. 

He could barely process what he was hearing, as it all just seemed like an indigestible, terrible overload. The news report continued, and after a few seconds the repeated phrases began to punch into Kris’ attention.

“Fire quickly growing…Emergency evacuation…”

Kris’ sense and survival instincts suddenly erupted, breaking through the panic that had seized and frozen his mind. He had to get out of here. 

He sprinted for the bedroom to get dressed and put shoes on. He had no idea how far the fire had already spread above ground, and whether it blocked the street-level entrance through the abandoned train station. In case the fire had already reached the station, Kris knew he should travel belowground for a while, down the train tracks in the opposite direction to get away from the east side. 

He hesitated, debating whether he should bring anything with him. In the event the fire reached here, he knew he should try.

He grabbed the first bag he could find, and quickly stuffed in a small number of books – Adam’s three favorites and one of his own. Then he ran to the alcove that doubled as Adam’s office. He hurriedly pulled down all of the maps and lists and tables, stuffing them quickly into the bag. Some of it may be invaluable information to ‘A’ that he had risked his life obtaining. 

Next, Kris ran for the weapons store room. He hadn’t been in the eerie place once since accidentally stumbling into it before. Now, as the walls slid back to reveal the caches, Kris snatched the first two handheld guns he could reach. He had no idea what kind they were or whether they’d prove helpful at all, but he made sure to dump two rounds of ammunition into his bag along with the guns. Then, he ran for the exit. 

To his horror, smoke permeated the train tunnel once he emerged from the hidden passage behind the painting. He coughed, his eyes tearing up as he climbed out of the passage, heaved his bag out after him, and then pulled the removable train tracks back down to hide the entrance. He spared only a glance down the eastern direction before hitching his bag over his shoulder and taking off westward. He didn’t want to stay long enough to catch a glimpse of the flames.

Kris knew he was going in the right direction, but he couldn’t say he knew much else. Somewhere about a mile down the tunnel, his eyes began watering. He couldn’t be sure whether or not it was just the smoke irritating his eyes.

He knew he would have to get farther away from the east side before he could even think about going up to the surface. Should he even consider ascending at all and risk being captured? Then again, could his destination be anywhere other than the police station where Cale and Charles were reportedly being held? 

He lost count of how many stations he passed, though it must have been at least six. He was just beginning to despair his helplessness and crushing uncertainty when he saw a figure coming towards him from the darkness in the distance, hurrying in the opposite direction towards him. 

Fear coursed through Kris before all else, thinking it could be a police officer, but it only took a few seconds for the familiar pale mask to become clear. 

“ ‘A’!” Kris exclaimed, nearly falling apart in his relief as he immediately launched himself forward from where he’d hesitated in fear at the sight of someone approaching.

“Kris!”

Adam moved faster, reaching Kris in a few quick strides and enveloping him close. Kris’ legs went weak as soon as Adam’s strong arms had him, and Adam crouched down to cradle him.

“Kris, oh thank God you got out and away from there. I was coming for you and I was so afraid,” Adam exhaled with breathless relief evident, pressing his mouth into Kris’ hair despite the mask. Kris’ hands had grappled onto the first part of Adam they could reach and clung there. He struggled to breathe normally, trying to stop shaking now that he was in Adam’s arms. Yet after only a few moments of precious respite, Kris remembered what Adam’s arms couldn’t fix. 

Kris reared back, his hands still fisted in the front of Adam’s costume. “Adam! We have to go to the police station. They took Cale and Charles!”

“What? How do you know?”

“They had it announced on the news, my friends were taken in as supposed accomplices. They announced it because they’re trying to get me, hoping to weaken you.”

“Kris, I know we can’t leave your friends there, but you know there’s no fucking way I’m letting them get you…”

“I know, but we have to go and try to get them out. They’re my best friends! It’s not fair they’re getting dragged into this, that I got them involved!”

“This isn’t your fault, Kris. The government are desperate bastards that do whatever horrible things they can envision.” Adam smoothed his gloved hands over Kris’ shoulders and down his arms, trying to soothe him. “Listen, we’ll go to the police station. We’ll help them. It’s going to be alright, we just have to be careful.”

Kris nodded, telling himself to relax because his friends were getting help.

“I brought this,” Kris said, unhooking the bag from his shoulder to hold out to Adam. “I didn’t know how close the fire actually was. I didn’t know what would happen so I grabbed just a few things before I left.”

“You didn’t have to do that. What mattered is that you got out safely,” Adam said seriously. Kris nodded, understanding but still holding out the bag. Adam took it and looked through it.

“I see you picked up the most important books,” Adam commented, and Kris could hear the little smile in his voice, could picture it on his face. “And you took my charts. Thank you, that was good thinking.”

Adam lifted out one of the guns, immediately flipping it around in his hand to inspect it.

“I had no idea what would actually be helpful, I kind of just grabbed the first ones I saw. There’s ammunition too.”

“They certainly won’t hurt. Thank you.” 

Adam pulled back one side of his cloak and unbuttoned his jacket. Kris could a glance of holsters and an array of weapons strapped underneath the jacket. Adam fitted in the new ones Kris had brought and tucked the ammunition rounds into a hidden pocket. Then he zipped his jacket again and let his cloak fall, perfectly concealing everything.

“This was smart, and salvaging my information might prove useful if we really lose the hideout. But we’ll see, and we’ll figure that all out later. Now, more than anything I’m just glad you’re alright.” Adam reached up with one hand to cup Kris’ cheek, and Kris turned his head into his touch. 

Adam stepped away a moment later, shifting his thinking to the tasks ahead now that he could see Kris was safe and sound. 

“For now, we’ll leave the bag down here. I took what I need for now, and we can come back and get it later.” Kris nodded as Adam stashed the bag beside the tracks, in a small nook where a chunk was missing from the wall. “Don’t worry, I know exactly where we are and I’ll remember where we put it.” He reached out to take Kris’ hand. 

“Now, the police station.”

 

The city passed by in a blur. Kris just hung on tightly to Adam’s hand while they hurried their way through the city’s hidden corridors. He had just started to recognize where they were and that they were nearing their destination, when he caught sight of a huge clock high on the side of a building. It was 4:45. 

“Wait!” Kris pulled back on Adam’s hand to tug him back into the alley they’d just been about to emerge from. The police station was just across the street now, not even a block farther down. “It’s quarter to five! Don’t the trains with your explosives have to be sent off at five?”

Adam paused, looking up to the large clock for a moment. 

“Shit,…I didn’t realize how long I spent in the tunnels to get you.”

Kris swallowed, knowing he’d already inadvertently complicated Adam’s plans. He thought fast.

“You can’t come into the police station with me anyway and risk being captured. You should just go and-…”

“No, listen to me. I do need to send off the trains. I got everything prepared and situated this morning, but I still need to activate them. You should stay here, right here, while I go take care of the trains. The stations they’re leaving from are on the other side of the city but I only need to get near enough so the detonator signal will be received.” 

Adam produced a small box with a red switch from beneath his jacket. It looked a lot like what he’d used to blow up the prisons after breaking Kris out.

“I’ll be back in no more than ten minutes. You stay right here, stay safe, and we’ll go after your friends when I get back.”

Kris nodded. “Okay.”

Adam reached out for one of Kris’ hands and squeezed firmly, holding it for only a moment before turning and dashing off into the dark alley. 

Kris stepped back farther into the alley and pressed himself against the wall, making sure he was hidden. Then he took a deep breath and held it, just trying to focus on calming down after everything that was happening around him. 

He looked in the direction of the police station. He could clearly make it out from here, could see the front of the building and the lights in the windows.

Cale and Charles were inside there. He was so close. He knew he should wait for Adam to return though. The best plan certainly wouldn’t be for Adam to smash in guns blazing and cause an unplanned, all-out battle on the evening of his most important night, but he’d still have a better idea of how to handle the situation.

Kris stayed back in the shadows of the alley, hidden; though it was so difficult to stand there doing nothing when the place where his friends could be in great danger was just there in his sight.

Wait. Just wait, he told himself. Adam will know what to do better than you could. 

Looking over to the station again, Kris thought that maybe he could just scout out the place a bit, so they’d have a better idea of what they were working with when Adam returned. Maybe, as long as he was extra careful, Kris could find a secluded back door or window that would serve their needs. 

Kris had only just begun to creep out of the shadows when he heard barking voices. 

“Search the surrounding area! Make sure there’s no sign of ‘A’ or Kris Allen, and grab them if there is!”

“Look! In that alley there!”

Kris gasped, immediately turning heel and running. To his dismay, policemen began filling into the opposite end of the alley, blocking him in. Kris froze, helpless. He flashed back to that last rally he’d gone to in his desperate attempts to find ‘A’ again, where he’d been blocked in and caged by the police just like this, and he couldn’t for the life of him believe it was happening again. 

“Restrain him. He’s exactly who we’re looking for.”

 

“Kris! No!!”

Sure enough, Cale and Charles were there in the same room Kris was marched into. They stood in the corner of the large room, held fast by the guards circling them. 

“They don’t give you anything!” Kris immediately shouted at the police chief standing before him, obvious in his uniform draped with metals and ribbons. “They can’t help you at all!”

“Quite right,” the police chief replied, the cruelty in his eyes unabated. “Let those two go. They’ve served their purpose quite admirably.”

Cale and Charles began to be dragged out, despite their struggles and protests. Kris gave a desperate shake of his head in their direction, trying to signal the futility of their struggling. The door slammed behind them, and the room abruptly fell to silence. The police chief was still leering at Kris, where Kris was being held down on his knees before him.

“So, Kris Allen. We’ve been trying to figure out your part in all this, but you keep disappearing like the little worm you are before we get the chance. It’s a puzzling question to think on… what role could you, so small and uninteresting, have in all these big things going on?”

“That’s exactly the question I’ve been asking,” came a voice from behind Kris. The second the police chief looked up to find the voice, a gunshot boomed in the room and the police chief toppled backwards, bleeding from a hole in his head. 

Kris stared at the body with huge eyes, his breath quickly hitching upwards.

Footsteps came near, until a tall, older man dressed in a long dark coat stood beside the body, the smoking gun in his hand and his eyes fixed on Kris. It took a few tries before Kris could pull his gaze up to the man’s face.

It was Jeffery Crowely, the prime minister’s second in command whom Adam had made his deal with. Kris couldn’t pretend to have any idea why he was here. Kris’ brain could hardly work at all. 

“What role do you have in this, Mr. Allen? What’s the connection to him?”

His eyes were dark and piercing, but the last coherent part of Kris’ brain told him what he needed to remember. Don’t give them anything. 

Crowely looked up and nodded at his men in the doorway. Two came forward to take Kris from the policemen who’d been restraining him before. They pulled Kris to his feet and bent his arms behind his back to hold him motionless. 

Already walking towards the door, Crowely spoke over his shoulder, “Well, the Banking building surveillance tapes showed he saved your life once, for whatever reason. Hopefully he’ll want to again, and you can make sure he gives me what I want.”

 

Chaos gradually unfolded throughout the city as ‘A’s’ three explosive-laden trains reached their targets. One by one, the treasury building, the prime minister’s secluded mansion, and the military command headquarters all went down. The government command chain was in ruins as police and soldiers struggled to contain the protests that had begun to fill the streets. The people were tired of the curfews, the oppressive police presence, the fear and uncertainty they had to live with everyday. They’d been tired of it all for a long time, and it wasn’t until now when they watched the great pillars fall of the regime that had stood on their shoulders and trampled their toes for so long, that for the first time they didn’t feel too afraid to lash out in return against the government that had abused them for too many years. 

 

It was a nondescript, dank, and empty cellar beneath the city streets where the secret meeting to decide the city’s future was slated to take place. The people on street level watched their feared government already being chipped away, unaware of the meeting that would truly decide their future, while ‘A’ and Crowely approached the agreed-upon location each with their own aces up their sleeves. 

Adam had found it difficult to focus on much of anything else once he’d returned from sending off the trains and found Kris gone. He’d only been able to force himself to stop searching with the reassurance that if he carried out his plans, any danger Kris could be in would soon be gone. As ten o’clock neared, he made for the meeting place.

 

Crowely sent his men in first. They returned up the stairs a few minutes later to report the cellar was empty. Crowely followed them down, his silver handgun clenched between both his hands.

He stepped down onto the damp, grimy floor and looked around. The only light trickled down from the stairwell, leaving shadowed corners but chasing away enough of the heavy darkness to see that the room appeared empty. 

Crowely let out a loud breath, lowering his gun. “I’ll be fucked if that coward backed out on me.”

“Fortunately for you, I’m a considerate man who keeps his appointments.”

Crowely jumped at the sudden voice, his men springing to attention with their guns raised and pointed in every direction, searching frantically for the source. 

Movement suddenly came from one of the farthest corners of the room. The pale mask appeared in the darkness, disembodied until it came forward enough for ‘A’s’ black-clad figure to emerge from the shadows. 

“However, I do believe you were a bit on the tardy side, Mr. Crowely.” 

Crowely just stared with wide eyes for a long moment with a mix of fear and mistrust, silent before his expression schooled.

“My apologies. It’s not a common practice of mine to attend meetings with criminals, punctual or not.”

“Then I suppose I’m to be grateful you came at all, though I would question my being classified as a criminal…but that’s a conversation for another day.”

“There isn’t going to be another day, you hear me?” Crowely’s voice rose. “I’m going to deliver what you requested, and then you’re going to disappear for good.”

“I believe that is what we agreed upon, but I’ve seen no proof yet that you’re a man of your word.”

After keeping his eyes glued to the figure standing before him, appraising him, Crowely glanced back and made a gesture to the two men flanking him. They turned and hurried up the stairs. 

Tense silence filled the cellar, Crowely and ‘A’ both keeping their eyes fixed on each other and tracking each movement the other made until the sound of echoing footsteps reappeared on the stairs. Crowely’s two men reappeared, now dragging another man between them clad in an expensive-looking black pinstripe suit with a black bag covering his head. He wasn’t struggling as they pulled him down to the cellar floor and pushed him to his knees. Crowely watched with a disgusted look until the captive had been placed on his knees, then looked over at ‘A’ expectantly.

“May I inspect him?” he asked, and Crowely gave a barely perceptible nod.

Adam walked forward toward Crowely and his line of men, until he stood before the captive. Crowely’s men watched him warily, their shaking fingers all still glued to their gun triggers.

Adam wanted to stop just where he stood and appreciate how long he had dreamed of this moment, how many times he’d imagined all the things he’d do were he ever in the same room as the man currently on his knees before him. He wanted to stop and recount all the injustices this man had wrought on his city, and all the horrors Adam had suffered personally as a result. 

He didn’t. He hardly needed to. The rage and vengeance were long rehearsed by now, always at his fingertips at a moment’s notice.

With the quick movement of one gloved hand, he ripped the black bag away. Revealed was the bleeding, sniveling face of the prime minister. His eyes darted around furiously, desperately, first finding the smirking face of his next in command. The horror of betrayal first began dawning in his eyes, but then he saw ‘A’ standing there tall just before him, and a whole new kind of horror visibly took him over. He tried to shrink back, but the hands of Crowely’s men held him firmly in place. 

“It gives me great pleasure to bid you good evening, prime minister,” Adam spoke through the mask. He paused for a moment to lean down, bringing their faces nearer. “I assume you already know who I am, and that I mean your end.”

The man started shaking and begging, and Adam had never been more disgusted in his life. 

“While it is rather satisfying to see the fear in your eyes, I had hoped you would be in a more right state of mind for our meeting. That way you would recognize the retribution for all that you’ve done, though even the worst tortures of this world would inflict only a hint of justice.”

Leaning down, Adam stared into the man’s near-crying face, torn between the urge to kill him immediately and to draw out his final moments. Adam grabbed the man’s chin, trying to make him pay attention.

“I would show you my face, but unfortunately my identity would mean nothing to you. I wish that were different. I wish you knew the faces of every single citizen who suffered their whole life long because of you and your greed.

“You see, many years ago I was a prisoner at a detention center called SycMoore.”

The man’s eyes widened when he heard the name. Adam knew the facility had been a secret kept strictly to the government’s topmost tiers, to protect its treacherous secrets. Adam wanted the man to remember his worst mistake – his most unforgivable transgression – in his final moments. 

“I was the only detainee to survive and escape.” Adam’s fingers tightened against the man’s chin, making him look him straight in the face. “You don’t need to see under my mask to know what’s beneath. Behind this mask is not just a man, but the legacies of every person who died at that facility, all their families who may have been killed, all the people you murdered in the city bombing, and all those who perished from your hell born disease.”

The man was whimpering, crying again, and Adam held him in place.

“Savor every bit of the fear, prime minister. It’s no more than a taste of what each of them felt.”

And then, in a mere instant, he gripped the back of the prime minister’s head with his other hand and twisted quickly. The two men who’d been holding him quickly let go, to let his body collapse onto the wet, filthy floor.

Adam was breathing hard, his hands still open in front of him. The relief and elation were washing over him that the prime minister was finally dead, warring with the compulsive regret that he’d delivered the blow much too quickly.

He didn’t have much time to think or dwell on the significance of what had just occurred, when Crowely’s footsteps neared beside him. 

“So. I’ve helped you dispose of that cretin. I believe that was my end of the bargain.”

“As I recall, so it was,” Adam assented, standing up and taking one step backwards from the prime minister’s body so he could focus his attention on Crowely – the only remaining threat.

Crowely clicked his handgun to the loaded position and pointed it straight ahead, at Adam. His men immediately followed suit, and in a mere second every hand and machine gun was aimed at the same place.

“I don’t seem to recall this as part of our bargain,” Adam said coolly, his arms still at his sides with perfect calm.

“The deal was that you would never interfere again. This is the only way to make sure of that,” Crowely sneered, “You know you’ve set this all up for me quite nicely. It was your hands that killed the prime minister, your name his death will be pinned on, and after you’ve been retired, I will rise unchallenged to fill the void in power.”

Adam gave a put-upon sigh. “You should know I can’t let you do that.”

“And how did you plan to stop me? All by yourself? You couldn’t have expected I’d really come alone, did you?”

“Of course I didn’t. Your type can’t even wipe your own noses.” Adam reached one hand beneath his jacket, resting his fingers over the rows of knives and guns at his disposal and ignoring the way every gun in the room immediately trained on his hand. “I came prepared for this stand-off, Mr. Crowely, because I knew exactly the kind of man you are. One thing I could never be accused of is failing to plan ahead.”

Crowely smirked. “Is that so? Well, did you plan for this?”

A snap of his fingers, and two of his men darted back up the stairs. Adam’s eyes narrowed beneath his mask, his fingers curling around the handle of a knife in anticipation. The two men reappeared at the top of the stairs a short minute later, pulling someone between them. Adam froze.

Kris.

Watching him being led down the stairs with a gag in his mouth, a touch of what was almost relief pushed through Adam’s despair. At least he could see Kris right there in front of him, he knew where he was, and Kris didn’t appear injured at all. 

He was brought forward to stand just before Crowely, who reached out to yank the gag from Kris’ mouth. Adam could see wild fear in Kris’ eyes, but Kris remained silent, controlled and defiant to Crowely’s attempts to use him. 

Adam knew he had to stay calm despite the instincts that screamed at him to jump forward and whisk Kris from harm’s way. Adam knew he had to keep playing the game. 

“How unfortunate that you had to bring a civilian into this, Mr. Crowely.”

“Don’t pretend with me. He means something to you. I won’t bother guessing, but I’ll wager it’s enough to make sure this encounter goes my way.”

Adam’s fingers tightened one by one around the knife handle beneath his jacket, his eyes pinpointing and tracking the fatal spots on Crowely’s body. He was just getting ready to throw straight for the man’s infuriatingly smug face when Crowely lurched forward to take Kris from the hold of his men, seizing him with one arm locked in front of his neck while his other hand pressed the barrel of his gun against the side of Kris’ head.

Adam’s heart raced, his fingers growing sweaty under the gloves and he lost his target.

Adam could see Kris breathing hard; fighting to keep still and not to give in to the panic and fear Crowely was aiming for. Adam knew what he had to do to try turning the tables.

“While it is for every man like him that I fight, my cause cannot afford to be derailed by a hopeless attempt to save each and every life that hangs in the balance of our confrontation here. Even if my victory is costly, when you fall, I will have preserved the countless lives of everyone in this city. I’m sorry to tell you, Mr. Crowely, but he alone doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Crowely’s eyes narrowed, his hold on Kris tightening slightly. “Really?” he drawled with morbid disbelief.

He suddenly let go of Kris and shoved him to the ground as hard as he could. Kris cried out reflexively when his hands and knees hit the hard floor. 

Adam was helpless to stop his jolt forward as Kris hit the ground. He’d barely taken half a step, but the rigid spring of his body had already given enough away.

“I thought so,” Crowely said, leering, as Kris struggled to his knees on the floor, not looking at either Crowely or ‘A’ and hating his own helplessness. 

“So, what are you two exactly?” Crowely jeered, clearly enjoying each little advantage he could seize. “Old friends, brothers, perhaps? Or maybe…” His face changed to cruel disgust as he spit the words, “Lovers. Well that would explain how you got to SycMoore, you sick abomination. You should have died there like the rest of them, and spared us all this trouble.” 

For the first time in his life, Adam felt hatred so immense and consuming that he couldn’t even speak. He couldn’t even move a single muscle in his body. 

“Now let me tell you how this is going to work out.” Crowely waved two of his men forward. They seized Kris by the arms and hauled him back to his feet, holding him there still. Crowely lifted his gun to point at Adam. “You’re going to stand there nice and still, and you’re going to take out each and every weapon you have hidden and drop it on the ground. Then you’re going to come into custody, and when I tell the people you’ve joined and aided me, you’ll secure my new position as chancellor. And then, when you’re no longer needed, you will die.

“If not…” He slowly turned the gun towards Kris. “Then your disgusting little lover gets a bullet through the brain.”

Adam took a deep breath. There was no negotiating anymore. There was no hope to keep this situation from becoming a bloody, messy disaster. He’d come into this with the feeling that it would most likely end this way, and now with Crowely pointing his gun at Kris, there was nothing else left to do. He knew he would have to execute this perfectly, and he’d only have one chance. His fingers twitched in anticipation and preparation as he played everything out in his mind – envisioning all the different scenarios in a mere second before reaching the best one. He clenched one hand into a fist. 

“Sorry, but it’s a matter of principle never to let you bastards win.”

In one single, deft motion, Adam swiped a gun from under his jacket and fired straight through the center of Crowely’s forehead. Shock seemed to freeze the man where he stood, before his silver gun dropped from his hand and he swayed. Blood trickled down over his face before he fell in a messy heap. 

His men stood in shock, staring at the body of their commander as if still waiting for it to issue their next order in the desperate moment they needed it most. It was all Adam needed to get the jump on them, dropping the handgun in favor of drawing two larger, fresh ones and rushing forward. 

He took out two of the eight men before they could even open fire. Adam ducked and then ran forward, dodging the spray of bullets from the machine gun of the first man to regain his senses. The man yelled out as two aimed shots from Adam’s guns dispatched him. The others struggled to get their guns up and pointed while Adam kept running so they’d be deprived of a target. A quick flash of his guns, and a third man fell.

Of the five men left, two were still holding Kris while the other three clutched their guns and fired madly in Adam’s direction. Adam was able to keep moving and dodging save for one shot that found his upper arm. He ignored the pain, focusing on his aim until his three opponents fell.

“D-don’t move! We’ll kill him!”

Adam was left facing only the two men who still had Kris. He would have pitied the way their hands were madly trembling, if those shaking hands hadn’t been holding guns dangerously near to Kris’ head.

“No, you won’t.”

Adam swiped two knives from beneath his cloak and sent them flying with a learned, precise flick of his wrists. The knives buried straight into their targets’ heads and they collapsed, leaving Kris standing there with his eyes wide open in shock, his body frozen, and blood that wasn’t his spotted across his face. 

Kris started shaking, and Adam was already hurrying to his side. Kris sunk to the ground, and Adam immediately bent down on his knees when he reached him. His hands went quickly to Kris’ shoulders.

“Are you alright? Oh, I’m so sorry, Kris, so sorry. I let you out of my sight again and look what happened…” Adam quickly used his sleeve to clean the blood from Kris’ face. As soon as he finished, Kris fell forward into his arms, clinging tightly to Adam’s back.

“N-no…I..I’m sorry…,” Kris tried to start saying like he knew he should for how he’d complicated Adam’s plans, but it was so hard to say anything when Adam felt so warm and solid and safe, and he’d been so scared…

“Don’t, there’s no need for that, Kris. They were desperate to do whatever they could, and you’re safe now. That’s all that matters.” His arms tightened to hug Kris more closely.

It took a few minutes of Adam holding him and stroking his back before Kris stopped shaking. When he finally did, he pulled back from Adam a little, just enough to test whether he could sit up on his own. Adam’s hands were right there to support him, but Kris seemed steady enough. 

He looked up at Adam, then around at the bodies littered around them. His eyes found the crumpled body of the prime minister, just a few steps away. He couldn’t hold back a gasp, his eyes flying back to Adam.

“You did it,” Kris breathed in a hushed voice. “He’s gone, it’s finished.”

“No, not yet,” Adam said grimly, rising to his feet and helping Kris do the same. “There’s still the last train at midnight, to dispose of Parliament. That cannot fail. Parliament is the most revered and powerful symbol of the government that needs to be fully disposed of. The leader may be gone, but as long as that building stands, people like Crowely can still claim power within it.”

Adam was still holding Kris by the shoulders, making sure he was steady on his feet. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Kris nodded, reaching up to bring Adam’s hands down from his shoulders to prove he could stand on his own. 

“I have to go send off the last train by hand. There’s no way I’m leaving you anywhere alone again, can you make it there with me? ”

“I think so, yes.”

“Come on, I’ll carry you some of the way.”

Adam leaned down to take Kris on his back. Kris locked his arms loosely around Adam’s neck as Adam stood back up and started moving. Kris closed his eyes for now with his forehead resting against Adam’s shoulder, grateful he could take a few more minutes to clear his head and get a hold of himself. He felt a bit silly since it was Adam who’d been doing the killing and had to face down Crowely, while Kris had just been the ragdoll held ransom on the sidelines. Even after all the extraordinary experiences Kris had been through since Adam entered his life, his nerves still weren’t as strong as he would have liked. But hopefully, they were only one train departure away from the finish of all this, and Kris’ nerves wouldn’t have to endure much more. 

“Your arm…,” Kris breathed with a frown when he noticed the blood seeping into Adam’s left sleeve. By now, Adam was hurrying through the city streets, apparently not worrying too much for stealth anymore.

“It’s fine, I can barely feel it. I’ll tend to it later.”

Some of the streets they passed were filled with people, some of the crowds bordering on riots that the weakened police infrastructure was having difficulty reigning in. Rioters held their fists to the sky, some cheering the chant of ‘A’s’ name. Others were just staring up at the columns of smoke rising from amidst the city and murmuring amongst each other. Adam kept moving no matter what. A couple eyes caught a glimpse of him and a few people called his one-letter name, but Adam moved on before attention could collect.

“Do you feel relieved? Watching them watching the beginning of the end?” Kris asked just loud enough to be heard over the din of voices and shouting and yells filling the city. 

“There’s no place for relief yet. All the years of work will be wasted if I lose focus too soon.”

Adam didn’t stop to place Kris back on his feet until they were standing before the south train line. 

“It’s a good thing you weren’t using the east train line, or else the fire would have ruined your final plans.”

“True, although it’s too bad it had to happen where our home is.”

Under any other circumstances, that little word “our” would have been momentous, and probably enough to make Kris’ heart burst. But Adam bustled past it, heading towards the train entrance.

“Come on, the train’s a few stations down. We’re almost there.”

Kris nodded, hurrying after him. Kris did his best to push back the instinctive fear that bubbled up when he heard the brusque determination in Adam’s voice, the singe-minded focus.

After a few flights of stairs bringing them below street level, Adam led them down a ways through a dimly lit tunnel. The place was completely abandoned, and looked like it had been that way for a long time.

“Jeez, are any of the train lines even used anymore?” Kris asked.

“Only those that are bringing in the government’s riches for hoarding. Of course that should get a stop to it soon.”

Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel, leading to where a single train compartment stood on the tracks. As they got closer, exiting the tunnel, Kris could see the boxes and boxes of what he assumed to be explosives stacked up inside. He couldn’t help swallowing hard from the sight. Kris looked around when they reached the platform beside where the train stood.

“These tracks lead to Parliament?”

“Precisely,” Adam confirmed. He was walking down the platform a little ways to where the control panel stood, on a small island that extended over the tracks slightly. Adam bent his head down in concentration when he reached the control board, his hands immediately finding the keys.

Kris walked closer to the train with curiosity. Standing on the edge of the platform, he peered inside. The door was open and only a few paces away, but all the explosives inside unnerved him too much to think about getting any closer.

Wooden crates were stacked up inside with dark wires protruding from them. Kris couldn’t see inside all the way to count all the crates, but there were definitely at least a dozen.

“No…no, shit!” Adam suddenly fervently exclaimed, causing Kris to jump and look over at him. Adam slammed his hands down against the control board, standing there with his shoulders hunched and fists clenched against the lights and buttons.

Walking over, Kris didn’t notice until now that some of the lights on the control panel weren’t lit up.

“The automatic steering isn’t working,” Adam breathed from behind the mask in a voice completely sapped and empty. “It won’t engage.”

Adam glanced up only for a moment to where Kris stood a few feet before him, looking at Adam worriedly from the platform beside the train with wordless questions in his eyes. 

Adam stated in a voice all too dark and level, “The train won’t go.” An age-long, breathless moment passed between them. “Not without someone on board.”

The crushing desperation and fear held off from Kris for a few seconds as Adam’s words sunk in. Then, the raging storm fell hard upon him, stifling his lungs and making every inch of him feel like stone.

“Oh…no,” Kris breathed in a cracked, barely-there voice as he struggled to breathe, much less to speak. But the storm that had seemed to suddenly white out all his senses was quickly changing direction, bringing his hearing and heartbeat and the blood rushing through him all roaring back until he staggered under the weight. “No, no no no…you can’t mean…you can’t.” Kris’ voice was quickly rising, trembling along with his body.

“The train has to be sent,” Adam stated in a heavy voice that struck Kris’ right from the air. Adam’s focus had returned to the control board again as he lifted his hands to the buttons again. “This is the last piece, and the overthrow will still be far from complete without it. All my years of work and suffering, all that I’ve fought for…it will all be corrected. It will all finally be finished.”

“No!!” Kris shouted, forcing his heavy feet to move forward. “Can’t you see, it won’t! Nothing will be fixed if they get your life too, if you let them win like that. They’ve tried again and again to beat and break you and every time you’ve proven you’re stronger, by rising above them and surviving.” 

Kris reached the island where the control panel stood, and Kris’ voice softened as he stood nearer to the other man.

“Your life is worth so much more than just this one goal. You’re meant for so much more.”

Adam’s hands paused over the board for only a second before continuing. Adam’s shoulders were still hunched in a way uncharacteristic of him, as if Kris’ words were weighing down on him.

“It’ll all be wasted if I don’t do this, if I can’t make the sacrifice when it counts.”

“You’ve already made all the sacrifices that count,” Kris spoke ardently, every word and tone in his voice pleading with everything he could muster. “You’ve brought this city so far, given so much to the people. You’ve already paved the road for them and enabled their first steps. You can’t be expected to give any more!”

Kris’ voice hit utter desperation. 

Nothing had ever been so important. Not even when he’d been resisting the government’s interrogations and tortures. Even if Kris had let some tidbit of information slip back then, Adam could escape and disappear, could keep hiding and fighting like he’d grown accustomed to, but now it was different. This time, Kris knew he was the only thing standing between Adam and the quickly approaching precipice at the end of the road. Kris had had the terrible feeling for a long time now that the end of Adam’s crusade would look like this, that it would turn dark and poisonous over his head, and Kris cursed himself for still having failed to avoid this.

“I’m so close,” Adam was only whispering now, his hands now clutching the control panel more than working it. “How can I let this slip through my fingers when I’m so close? The most important symbol for everything the city needs to be rid of…”

“A symbol! It’s only a symbol. You’ve already succeeded in getting rid of the corrupt leaders who made the symbol evil.”

“So close…,” Adam was murmuring again, his voice wavering. Yet the tremble in his voice didn’t come from any of the doubt Kris wanted so badly to hear. In that desperate waver, Kris could hear all the years of pain and anguish and focus, all mounting up to this single moment of catharsis. This was a moment Adam had envisioned and planned for months and years, and Kris could hear the longing that ran deeper than anything Kris had ever known. 

For an utterly terrifying moment, Kris didn’t know Adam at all. With Adam’s shoulders and hands still hunched over the control board, with every last ounce of his focus and desire all poured upon it, he seemed utterly unreachable by anything outside himself. 

This had been Kris’ worst fear above all else. It had haunted him even while he and Adam had become closer, always whispering in the back of his mind that it could come to fruition and tear his world apart– That Adam could become so hopelessly distant from him and untouchable like this. That Adam would belong to the war for vengeance more than he could ever belong to Kris, and in the end, it would consume him.

Adam pressed one last control before pushing away from the panel. He was still muttering to himself, still utterly held captive by his plot, as he swept onto the train platform. He was moving towards the door leading onto the train, and Kris’ body gave a cold seize when he realized Adam was going to brush past him, and this would be the last chance he’d ever have.

“This is the last step,” Adam was saying. Maybe he was still trying to convince Kris, but his words seemed too aimless and almost mindless to sound like they were coming from any rational place. “Then it’ll finally be the end…and this can only happen now, tonight is the only chance, the only time that’s right… It has to be done now no matter what it takes, and then everything will finally be over.”

Kris gripped Adam’s arm before he could pass by him, clutching it tighter than a lifeline.

“Listen to me. You can’t do this,” Kris affirmed passionately, holding Adam’s arm as tightly and closely as he could to make him pause. “What does that give the people? When the previous government finally gets their way with your death? When you’re finally out of the picture?” Hysteria was creeping into him but Kris was helpless to fend it off. His voice quickly started rising. “The city needs you now! To remind them of what they escaped and what they can never go back to. This is the easy way out if you throw yourself onto the revolutionary fire, if you let it consume you without remembering its purpose! The purpose was to live in a better world! You can’t do this…It will never be the right thing and I won’t let you-..!”

“Kris, stop!” Adam’s voice suddenly snapped, loud and booming and his arm lashed out to dislodge Kris’ tight grip. Losing his balance as he was suddenly knocked backwards, Kris fell back onto the hard concrete of the platform. 

Propped awkwardly on his elbows, Kris froze there on the ground in something like shock, staring up at Adam with wide, stunned eyes. The same weight seemed to have fallen over Adam and it finally made him halt, frozen as he took in the sight of Kris there on the ground and the silence between them – heavier and louder even than the dispute that had possessed them a mere moment ago.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that…,” Adam said in a hushed voice, quickly dropping down beside Kris and reaching to take Kris in his arms, away from the cold concrete. Kris clutched him in return for a few seconds before Kris pulled back and lifted his head enough so he could look right into the eyes of Adam’s mask, and Adam couldn’t look anywhere else. Kris’ face was raw and cracked, the desperate fear in his eyes staring Adam straight in the face. Kris’ lips quivered before he could speak.

“Please. Don’t do this. Please, Adam…I love you.” 

Adam went utterly rigid, and if Kris could have seen his face, Kris knew he would probably see unadulterated shock on his face.

“Y-you do?” Adam whispered in a voice just as gentle and fragile as Kris’ had been.

Kris nodded as much as he could muster. “How could I not? I love you and need you and I don’t want to lose you, I couldn’t bear it.” Kris took a deep, shaking breath. “Please don’t leave me. I was…alone for so long before I met you, and we haven’t had nearly enough time.” Kris’ voice hitched up painfully. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Kris stopped to take deep, struggling breaths, so he wouldn’t lose himself to his emotions. They were dangerously close to swallowing him, but he couldn’t let them. Not in this moment that meant so much. 

“So I’m begging you not to do this. Please,… don’t go. After this, we can live together, somewhere happy and peaceful, and never have to think about any of this ever again. We can just be together, and I don’t want anything more than that…” 

Kris’ voice broke a little, and Adam drew him close. Adam had moved instinctively to hug Kris closer when he could see the pain Kris was in, even though most of Adam’s body was still heavy with surprise. 

It had always been evident that for one reason or another, Kris cared about him. Adam had long been grateful for whatever had made Kris feel that way, and caused Kris to want to be near him. But love was an entirely different thing altogether… An entirely larger, less comprehensible beast.

Ever since Adam had watched his family shot before his eyes and he’d been imprisoned at the SycMoore facility so long ago, vengeance and animus had been the only constants in his life. They’d been his only companions, and they’d filled his life completely with the drive to train, to fight, to bring down the corrupt men in power who’d destroyed his life as well as the lives of so many others. For so long, that mission had been all Adam needed. For years, he ate, drank and breathed it, and it had nourished him, constantly pushing him forward more and more. It was all he’d known, and all that mattered.

Then, ever since the first time he’d met Kris – when he’d carried him from the burning Commerce building – something had inexplicably drawn Adam to him. Something had made Kris stay in his thoughts and once they were together, admit Kris into even the deepest parts of himself. Adam had always known he cared for Kris, and the longer they spent together, the deeper he realized his feelings for Kris pierced. 

But even while Kris had become so close and important to him, Kris had always seemed separate from the all-encompassing mission that drove everything Adam did. Adam hadn’t seen any reason why these two spheres most important to him would ever come into conflict, or why they couldn’t coexist. Now, he suddenly had to face the crisis that they no longer could. 

Kris had his face hidden against Adam’s shoulder, his hands fisted in the dark material of Adam’s outside jacket. Adam could hear his sharp breathing and the way Kris’ shoulders were still trembling. Kris’ words – the startling, unbelievable I love you – still rang unignorable in his head. 

Adam could hardly fathom the idea of letting his cause slip away from him, of just choosing to let it go, as if it were a choice at all. It was so incredibly deeply rooted in him. Yet, at the same time, it was equally difficult to imagine turning his back on everything he and Kris had shared. Their time together had only spanned a few months, but had affected Adam deeply enough that the time could have been years. Holding Kris, when Adam thought back to all the experiences with him that would stay vivid in his memory forever – dancing with Kris, Kris’ eyes remaining just as loving when he saw Adam’s scars the first time, the first kiss they’d shared, when Kris had kissed his scars, being in bed with Kris – what overpowered him most of all was the unparalleled happiness all those moments spent with Kris had brought him. He couldn’t say that the mission to fulfill his vendetta had ever brought him joy like that. Being with Kris had provided respite – a feeling of peace Adam had forgotten even existed in the world. 

In his arms, Kris was warm and alive. He still shook occasionally, and Adam could feel Kris’ fingers bunching up and then releasing in his clothes. He could feel Kris’ breath, hot and soft against his neck. Adam imagined another place and time, where Kris would pull back and give Adam a bright, dancing smile. Adam could picture it perfectly.

Adam looked up at the train. His eyes skimmed over all the crates of explosives he’d carefully put together and stacked up there inside the train. The metal of the train compartment all looked so cold, and if the wheels of the train started turning, as they only could with Adam on board, they would encase him in that coldness forever, where he’d never feel Kris’ warmth again. 

And Adam knew what he could not choose. 

Adam gave Kris a comforting squeeze before pulling back just enough so he could see his face. Kris’ face was still pained and fearful, and Adam vowed he’d never make Kris look like that again. 

“Kris, it’s okay. You…” Adam took a deep breath, his hands still holding Kris’ arms, keeping him close. “…You were right. I can’t do this. I couldn’t leave you.”

Kris’ mouth fell open as he tried to make sure he understood. Adam reached up to touch his gloved fingers to Kris’ cheek. 

“You’re right. I don’t need to do this, it wouldn’t be helping anyone anymore. And besides, there’s something in this world now that I couldn’t bear leaving.”

Kris made a noise akin to a sob, pitching forward to hug Adam tightly around the neck. Adam could already see all the fear finally disappearing from Kris’ face. Adam hugged him close again, grateful, and knowing he could never forget this moment and what Kris had done for him.

“Let’s get out of here. What do you say?” Adam asked as they separated a little. He wanted to clear the air of what he’d almost just done, of all the bombs and explosives and cold metal, so he could just focus on Kris.

“I say the sooner we get away from this awful place, the better,” Kris responded right away in a voice that still gave way to a little crack, but the kind that accompanied a genuine smile. Now this was the face Adam wanted to see more of. Adam took Kris’ hand as they stood up. 

“Just one moment,” Adam said before quickly going over to the train. Kris didn’t understand at first, but then Adam went inside the train car to kneel down in front of the crates of explosives. He started fiddling with the wires, and then Kris noticed all the lights on the control panel blinking out. Adam was disarming all the bombs, and relief finally washed through Kris.

Adam soon returned to his side to take his hand. Kris was returning the smile he knew Adam must have been giving him from beneath the mask. They moved for the fire exit, where a small spiraling staircase led all the way to street level and up past it, along the wall of the building that stood above the underground train tracks. They kept moving up, upwards until the stairs ended upon a tall rooftop. They walked out on to the empty rooftop, into the clear night. 

They walked forward enough so they could see the jagged lines of all the buildings outlined against the night sky. They knew the people were still lining the streets and the city was still in upheaval after ‘A’s’ successful final night, but somehow the air in the night sky seemed to hold a kind of peace neither of them had felt in a long time.

Adam’s gaze stayed heaven-bound as he reveled in a few blessedly empty, calm minutes Then, Adam looked down towards the streets. “You know, it’s not over for them. It won’t be, for a while still.”

“Of course not, but now they have the chance to right things themselves. You’ve laid the example, marked the way, but now they can fulfill whatever government is truly best for them.”

Adam took a deep, lingering breath before, “Where should we go, Kris?” 

“It doesn’t matter, as long as I’m with you.”

An easy smile spread onto Adam’s face under the mask, his heart nearly bursting with silent gratitude towards Kris. He couldn’t imagine standing here alone this night. Anymore, he couldn’t imagine how he’d persevered for so many years without Kris by his side – without Kris grounding him in this way nothing else could. He didn’t realize until now how difficult and exhausting it had been with hate and vengeance as his only ties to the world and the only things he lived for. He would never be able to give them up exactly, but now there were other, stronger bonds that would keep pulling him on into the next day. 

Adam had just turned away from the skyline and taken a step back towards Kris, when a huge noise like an explosion billowed from across the streets and buildings. Kris jumped a little, and he and Adam both turned immediately to find where the blast had come from. 

Only a little ways away from them, they could see a huge amount of dark smoke rolling up towards the sky. There was another sound building in the wake of the explosion, and after a few seconds the cacophony of cheering voices became discernable. 

“That…that’s where Parliament is,” Adam spoke in a hushed voice, letting out a disbelieving laugh of breath. 

They could see the flames from where they stood, as well as the thousands of people who had gathered around where Parliament stood – filling the streets with people shouting and cheering and claiming with their own hands the freedom that had been kept from them for so long. 

“It’s better this way,” Adam said. “They fulfilled the overthrow on their own. They took their liberation into their own hands.” And Adam realized with near-overpowering relief that everything was more finished than he ever could have made it himself. Rebuilding and restoring order would take time, but he’d always known that wasn’t for him to have a part in. 

Kris was suddenly at his side then, sliding his arms around Adam’s waist and slipping in to lean against Adam’s taller form. His eyes were still trained on the dancing pillar of smoke. Fireworks were beginning to go off, dancing in the sky and lighting up the dark smoke.

Eventually, Adam slid one hand around Kris’ shoulders to turn Kris’ attention up towards him. 

“Thank you, Kris. For stopping me. For loving me, for everything. I love you too, you know. More than anything.”

And after Adam abandoned the train for him, Kris knew it must be true. Kris’ smile was almost blinding.

Adam went on, “After all this…” His gaze turned outward to sweep the city skyline. “I think I want to live somewhere far away, far off from all this.” 

“You don’t want to stay and witness all you’ve accomplished – in the city you freed?”

“I don’t think I could stand another day here. I’ll probably go crazy, if I haven’t already…” Adam said with a humorless laugh. “And I want to ask…” His head turned back towards Kris, his gaze returning to him. “Would you come with me?”

Kris thought the uncertainty in Adam’s voice was really unbelievable. Kris couldn’t help a tiny laugh, accompanied by a roll of his eyes, causing Adam to grow nervous for a second, misconstruing Kris’ reaction.

“Haven’t you figured it out by now?” Kris asked, laughter in his voice and adoration in his face, making Adam relax a little bit. Kris turned to face Adam more directly, lifting a hand up to the back of Adam’s neck. “You’re the only thing that makes me happy.” Leaning closer to Adam when the taller man’s arms come around him, Kris added a beat later, “So of course I’ll come with you, you idiot.”

Adam laughed a little from beneath his mask, and Kris longed to feel the breath from his laughter.

“You know what would make me happy right now?” Kris asked in a mere whisper, his head tilted close enough to be only inches from Adam’s mask. “If you took off this mask.”

Adam’s long-rooted instinct rebelled against Kris’ words, but this was a new night unlike any other, and there wasn’t anyone to hide from anymore. Looking right into Kris’ eyes and longing to see his own reflection there undisguised and open, hiding from himself was long forgotten. 

Adam started with the cloak. He unclasped it and let it fall. He tossed the black wig off next. Finally, he lifted his hands to the edges of the mask that he’d allowed somewhere along the way to become his countenance more than his own flesh. Adam peeled the mask away. Instead of letting it fall, unneeded anymore, he threw it off, letting the wind carry it over the railing at the edge of the roof. 

He pulled Kris into his arms at the same time Kris kissed him, and it was like both of their chests became alight at once. Adam felt lighter than he ever had, and the slow, tender press of Kris’ lips dancing with his own and the sensations it sent sparking through his body were the only things too real for him to know he was not dreaming. 

Another round of fireworks continued to blaze as they burst colors across the night sky, their dance of lights matching that of passion. When Adam turned his head to look at them, they seemed almost too bright and beautiful to fit in this world, but the warmth of a companion beside him and the sweet, invigorating taste of his lips again, coated the world in a whole new palette.

 

~Epilogue~

 

“…We just couldn’t believe it. And we’re so glad you’re alright!” Charles and Cale were saying, looking halfway to tears. They’d hardly been able to stop hugging him since Kris had let them in to his apartment a little while ago.

Understandably, they’d been worried out of their minds the night before, after the two of them had been released by the police in favor of holding Kris. Kris had assured them that he was fine, and explained how everything had worked out. The government had tried to use him as a hostage against ‘A,’ but ‘A’ hadn’t fallen for it. He’d saved Kris and then been able to carry his plans through.

Kris brought his friends into the living room and let them take up their usual spots on his couch. He retrieved them beers from the kitchen before sitting down across from them. He popped his own bottle open and idly studied the label for a long moment before taking a drink. He needed to tell them about his plans for the future, but he had no idea how to go about doing that. 

While Kris held off and they lapsed into the kind of more familiar, comforting catch-up conversation, Kris’ mind wandered to that morning and the day before, with Adam. 

 

After everything had finished the night before, they’d come back to Kris’ apartment together. They didn’t know the status of the fire that had earlier burned in the vicinity of Adam’s hideout, and were too exhausted to do anything but rest. Kris had cleaned and wrapped the bullet wound in Adam’s arm, glad to see it didn’t look serious, before they’d fallen right into bed. Curled up in the blankets and wrapped in Adam’s arms, Kris’ bed had never been cozier and he’d never been so happy to be in it. Yet Kris knew that was only thanks to the man who slept nestled close behind him, and Kris would follow him anywhere, because anywhere they were together was home.

Kris could hardly bear to remember the time he’d given Adam up in favor of the trifling familiarity of this little apartment and his fear of the new forces – both good and bad – protruding into his life. 

They’d stayed in bed late into the next morning, thanks to Kris grinning and trapping Adam tightly in his arms with a gleeful, “You don’t have anything to jump out of bed for today.”

“I certainly don’t,” Adam had affirmed with a matching smile, letting Kris keep him trapped. With their noses and lips almost touching, Adam murmured, “And I can’t imagine any reason why I should want to.” 

He kissed Kris, and with an utterly content ‘mmm’ against Adam’s lips, Kris had let Adam roll him to his back and press him into the pillows. 

“You know,” Adam was murmuring against Kris’ lips between deep, slow kisses, “Even when I did have an agenda to attend to, getting out of a bed with you in it was always the hardest thing to do in the whole day.” Another kiss to the corner of Kris’ mouth, and Adam added in a purr, “Especially when you were naked.”

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing you’ll get to always have a bed with me in it, now that you’re free to enjoy it. And I’ll try to be naked more.”

Adam laughed lightly before smirking. “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be making sure of that.”

Adam bent down under the covers to start removing Kris of his pajamas, and Kris quickly returned the favor once Adam had finished. They made love slow and deep, taking their time in a way they’d never quite had the luxury to before. With his legs splayed and Adam pressed close between them, close inside him, Kris had clutched him and shuddered with mind-numbing pleasure, moaning softly as Adam gently rocked deeper and deeper inside of him. Adam’s lips roved over every inch of Kris’ neck and shoulder while they worked and moved together.

Afterwards, they laid tangled together, sweaty and silent for a long time, and losing track of the minutes had never felt better.

“I kind of can’t believe this right now,” Kris mumbled with a lazy smile, his fingers running up and down the freckled arm that Adam had curled over him. “I mean, I’m having sex with ‘A’…in my bed. How did this happen to me again?”

Adam laughed, shifting his head on the pillows just enough so he could press a kiss to Kris’ cheek.

“How did it happen? It happened by ‘A’ falling madly in love with you.”

Kris rolled a little to face Adam. “I would renew the previous question…If I wasn’t out of my mind with how badly I want to kiss you right now.”

Later, after Kris had gone to put together a quick breakfast-in-bed to bring back on a tray, Adam had thought aloud over his toast, “It’s not selfish of me, is it? To leave the whole reconstruction to the citizens? It seemed like the job had to be theirs…”

“It does, you’re right. The city needed someone extraordinary like you, who knew how to live outside the regular bounds of the city and had the motivation to single-mindedly dedicate yourself to the fight and learn everything that was needed to win. They needed you to topple the weight that oppressed them, but now they need to stand on their own, if their legs are going to be strong enough to hold them.”

Adam stirred his coffee cup, staring into it thoughtfully. “You’re right. I thought the same thing…it’s just so hard to let the whole thing go, to think that everything’s really finished. It seems impossible.” 

Kris reached over to cover one of Adam’s hands with his own. “I’m sure that’s going to change once we’re far away from here. You deserve to live a peaceful life now, where you don’t have to worry about any of this anymore.”

Adam curled his fingers around Kris’ in return. “And you’re sure you’re alright with leaving?”

Kris nodded, squeezing Adam’s hand. “Starting off new will be good for me too. The only thing I’ll miss here is my friends, and I could always come back and visit. Besides them, this place doesn’t hold anything I’ll miss. I want a place where I can make my own life, not have to settle for whatever’s been doled out to me.”

Adam nodded, stroking the back of Kris’ fingers. “I don’t think either of us could ever really be free in this city, not even now. We’ve both lost too much here.”

“But that doesn’t matter. The past doesn’t matter,” Kris said with a peaceful smile, reaching a hand up to stroke his fingers through Adam’s disheveled hair. He smoothed his fingers over the scarred portion of Adam’s forehead before stroking his hair back again. “Soon, we’ll be free to be as happy as we like.”

Adam leaned in to kiss him again, and their breakfast soon went forgotten. 

 

Kris was dozing, later when Adam murmured, “It seems impossible that it’s really all finished.”

Kris had made only a half-awake noise of acknowledgement against Adam’s chest. Adam’s fingers were stroking through Kris’ hair, his eyes gazing at something far more distant than the walls, at a level halfway between Kris and the ceiling.

“I have to confess, part of me was always sure the final fight would take my life, and that didn’t bother me because – for so long – that fight was all I had been living for.”

Even against the thick scarring of his other hand, Adam could feel the warmth and the softness of Kris’ skin where his hand rested against Kris’ back.

“My life just seemed to end there.”

Adam’s gaze retreated from whatever far-off place they’d found. He shifted slightly, curling closer around Kris. 

“Now, here I am on the opposite side, plunging into the unknown.” His lips found Kris’ hair. “The great unknown isn’t nearly as terrible as people make it out to be.”

 

Once they’d finally gotten out of bed, Kris talked to Cale and Charles on the phone to check in and make sure they were alright. They insisted on coming over to see him later. Adam needed to go out for a while anyway, to check on the condition of his hideout. He would salvage what he could; depending on how the fire had left it. 

Kris found some regular clothes he could lend to Adam for the day, and left him to shower and get dressed while Kris went out to tidy up and clean up a bit after being away from his apartment for so long. Even though they didn’t plan to stay there for long, Kris still had an urge he couldn’t quite help to keep everything tidy.

Kris was halfway through shaking out all the pillows when he stilled, hearing something from back in the bedroom where Adam was. It took a few seconds for Kris to even place exactly what he was hearing, before he realized it was singing. Kris almost dropped the cushion in his hands, because not only was Adam singing, but his voice was unbelievable. 

Kris had to tiptoe closer to the bedroom door to listen for a minute before peeking into the room, just to make sure that voice was really coming from Adam. Sure enough, there Adam stood beside the bed, pulling a shirt on and singing some soft song. Kris couldn’t hope to place what he was singing, because his mind had practically stuttered out just at the fact that this angelic voice was coming from him.

Kris was tempted to throw the door open and call Adam names or something, because it was hardly fair that it seemed like Adam was gifted in everything. But there was no way Kris could interrupt that moment and Adam’s soothing, beautiful voice. Kris went back to pick up the pillows he’d dropped, smiling to himself as he listened to Adam’s singing and reveling in the fact that he would be fortunate enough to keep listening to that voice for a long, long time.

 

“You could just go out the front door, you know,” Kris said with an amused smile before Adam went out through the balcony. Adam was standing before the glass door in a normal shirt and jeans Kris had found for him, without his mask or anything except his gloves. Adam said they made it easier to use his hands, without his raw skin being chafed against all day. 

“Come now, that’s far too normal for me. It’ll take a while until I can go in and out front doors like a normal person.”

Kris couldn’t help coming forward to give him one more peck on the lips. “Then it’s a good thing I never want you to be normal.”

Adam was half out on the balcony before Kris asked again, “You’re sure you want to go out without the mask? I told you I still have that old one you gave me.” Kris couldn’t help asking again, because it was just so strange to imagine Adam going through the city completely undisguised.

“It is a rather alarming idea, but there’s no need for ‘A’ anymore, and there’s no one who would know me. The scars might get some looks, but I’ll blend in in plain sight.”

“I’ll see you later?”

“Of course.” Adam quirked a last smile before disappearing over the railing of the balcony. Kris just shook his head to himself, amused and smiling. He went to get ready for Cale and Charles, and started trying to plan what he could tell them.

 

Which left Kris back in the living room, sitting around in idle conversation with his two friends. He let the conversation skirt around everything but the future plans Kris had no idea how to break to them. He couldn’t imagine how he would react, if one of them were leaving. He had no idea how to broach the subject delicately. 

They were in the middle of talking about the ruins of Parliament that people were still triumphantly carrying away, when there was a noise from back in the bedroom. The door to the bedroom suddenly opened and the three of them looked up.

“Kris, I went all the way back and -..” Adam cut himself off midsentence when he realized the living room had two extra occupants. His mouth opened, working silently for a second before abruptly shutting again. 

“Excuse me,” he said quickly before retreating back into the bedroom and pulling the door closed again. Cale and Charles still stared at the door for a second before their questioning gaze quickly turned to Kris. 

Kris took a deep breath, trying to get over the surprise himself that that had really just happened.

“Who was that?”

“What was wrong with his face?” came the questions already.

“There’s nothing wrong with his face,” Kris snapped back immediately, perhaps a touch too harshly. Cale and Charles looked a little taken aback before they fell silent, waiting for the explanation. Kris took a moment to gather his thoughts.

“Actually…it’s a good thing that just happened, because otherwise I had no idea how to tell you what I need to say.”

After a second of silence, Charles prompted, “What, Kris? We’re totally lost here.”

“Well, I told you about the time I spent with ‘A’ when I was wanted. I told you how he took care of me and I’m sure you remember the farfetched conclusion we eventually reached that I was in love with him.” Kris paused for a sip of his drink, before looking back up at his friends. “It turns out that wasn’t really so farfetched. I couldn’t stop going to rallies to look for him, and when I was finally found him – or he found me – again, I realized right away that it was true. I was in love with him. I am.” 

Kris just looked meaningfully toward the door, nodding in its direction. Cale and Charles looked back and forth once between the door and Kris, before their eyes widened almost comically as the understanding sunk in.

“You mean…that was…?” Cale whispered incredulously. Kris just nodded, and his friends looked like they might pass out where they sat.

“B-but..the mask was gone!”

“Yeah, ‘A’s’ gone. His job is done. So the mask is gone.”

Cale and Charles remained speechless, and Kris gave them another moment to process who they’d just been in the room with. 

“So…what’s he doing here?”

“Here was the easiest place to come after everything was done. Here’s where we’re staying for now.”

Kris caught Cale squinting his eyes at Kris’ word choice, and sure enough Cale asked only a second later, “What do you mean ‘for now’?”

Kris took a moment to plan out his words before he pressed on. “I mean…soon we’re going to be leaving. Together. He doesn’t want to stay, and I can’t say I’m completely happy with all aspects of my life here either. Even if everything gets better, as it should now that the old government’s gone, … the only place I really want to be is with him.”

Kris finally looked up to his friends, and found them both still looking speechless. 

“Sorry?” Kris offered immediately. “I know it’s a lot to take in…”

“Don’t apologize, Kris,” Cale cut in with a soft voice, and Kris looked over to focus on him. “You’re happy with him. We suspected as much before, but now it’s totally clear. This is what you’ve deserved and missed your whole life long. We wouldn’t want anything to ruin that.”

When Kris’ gaze shifted to Charles, he found him nodding, silently echoing Cale’s statement. Kris’ heart gave a helpless pang, because god, would he miss these two.

Kris set his drink down, stood up and hurried across to grab both of them in one-armed hugs at the same time.

“Fuck, I’m going to miss you guys so much,” Kris mumbled, trying his absolute hardest not to get teary.

“We will too,” Charles said, going for gruff with his voice but failing miserably. “As long as you come back to see us every once in a while from wherever you end up, then we won’t have to kick your ass for leaving us.”

Kris couldn’t help the wobbly smile he gave both of them. “You know I will.”

 

Once Cale and Charles left, Kris immediately ventured back to the bedroom to check on Adam. Kris found him sitting on the bed with the little TV set on. Adam immediately sat up when the door opened.

“I’m sorry about earlier, I didn’t know they were still here. I should have been more thoughtful…”

“Don’t worry. Really, it was totally fine. They’re probably still swooning over the fact that they were in the same room with you for half a second,” Kris responded with a fond smile, both for his friends and Adam. 

Adam returned the smile hesitatingly. “How did they take it?”

“Pretty well, actually. They recognized this as the happiness I never got the chance to have. And they just want me to take it.”

“They sound like the best kind of friends.” 

Kris smiled, leaning against the doorway. “They are.”

Adam stood up to walk nearer to him. “Don’t make me feel even more guilty that I’m taking you away from them.”

“Don’t,” Kris assured him, reaching up to hook his arms around Adam’s neck when he came close enough. “I already know I’m going to be happier with you than I ever was here.”

Adam was smiling when they parted from a kiss, to quickly tell Kris, “So I went all the way to the hideout, and it looks like disaster was averted.”

“It was alright?”

“I don’t think the fire made it down to the train tunnels at all. There was smoke damage on some of the paintings and walls, but everything else was still there in fine condition. We got lucky.”

“I’m glad everything survived, but…are we going to need the place anymore?” Kris asked.

“I don’t think we’ll be leaving there anymore, no. But we can salvage all our belongings to take with us. My library…I’m so thankful I didn’t lose it. And as for all the art and artifacts I took for safekeeping from the government before, I think now I’ll sell them back.”

Kris raised an eyebrow, amused. “Sell?”

Adam nodded seriously. “I took them before because they’d been relegated to back warehouses, probably awaiting destruction. The previous regime took them for granted and the new one can’t do the same. They could use a reminder of how valuable all those pieces are.” Adam bent his head close to Kris again, cracking his easy, tender smile that Kris was coming to call his own. “Then, you know what that means for us?”

“What?” Kris asked softly.

“We’ll have the rest of our lives assured in comfort. But I swear, that’s not the reason I’m selling the art rather than donating.”

Kris laughed a little. “I’m sure. Either way, I can’t say I really object, if it means early retirement. I’ve had enough of degrading, low end jobs.”

“Like at the Banking and Commerce buildings?”

“Exactly.”

“Well…” Adam said slowly, his voice warm as he drew Kris closer with his hands at Kris’ waist. “As much as I agree that I don’t want to see you stuck in jobs like that again, I must profess to at least a little gratitude that you held them before. If not, I wouldn’t have met you in the Commerce building, and you wouldn’t have ended up staying with me after the Banking building.”

“And we probably wouldn’t be standing here today,” Kris continued. “I never thought of my old jobs quite like that before, but when you put it that way, hell, I’m grateful too.”

Soon, they moved into the kitchen to start getting together something to eat. 

“Can I ask you something, and you’ll be totally honest?” Kris asked suddenly, pausing and straightening up from where he’d been rifling through the mostly expired contents of his refrigerator. His mind was still caught up in the conversation regarding his old jobs.

“Have I ever not been honest with you?”

“Okay, well…in the Commerce building, you remember how you sent in a package first, that projected your hologram so you could deliver a message before you appeared in person?”

Adam nodded. “Of course.”

“Well, I was the one who’d been carrying the package through the building for delivery when it exploded. 

“Really? You were?”

“Yeah, and I can’t help but wonder whether you planned it that way.”

“Planned that you’d be the one with the package? I would love to say I planned everything that exactly, but I must admit that no, I had no idea who would carry it. Unfortunately, I didn’t know you at all until that day. That’s quite an incredible coincidence though, that it was you.”

“Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence,” Kris couldn’t help saying with a bit of a cheeky smile. “Maybe we were just meant to be.”

Adam laughed with a wide grin. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

“One more honest question?” Kris asked, closing the fridge and going to lean against the counter in front of Adam.

“Shoot.”

Kris bit his lip for a second, before just going for it. 

“When did you hang up the picture of me in your study? In that little room behind the tapestry with the maps and everything?”

Adam looked a cross between surprised and embarrassed. “How did you see that?”

“I may have been snooping a little one day,” Kris admitted with a tiny shrug. “Sorry?”

Adam chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m not sure how much I’ll enjoy admitting this, but…it was right after I learned your name. After we met for the second time in the alley during a rally.”

“Really?” Kris was surprised. “You barely knew me.”

“I know,” Adam shrugged, looking down towards the floor almost awkwardly. “There was just something about you. I can’t explain it.”

Kris’ heart swelled. 

Kris came over, moving into Adam’s arms – the place quickly becoming the only home he needed. 

“You don’t have to try explaining it, because I know exactly what you mean. If there were pictures of you available anywhere, I would’ve had one taped up on my wall after the first time I met you.”

“But at the beginning, I bet it was just because I was…” Adam made some vague, spazztic hand gesture. “…Interesting. Weird.”

“Maybe, but I was already having the weird dreams right away.”

“What weird dreams?”

“The dreams about being with you.”

Adam kissed him deeply, leaning Kris back against the counter. When he pulled back, he murmured, “Now you don’t have to dream anymore.”

“And you don’t have to stare at pictures anymore.”

“And if we don’t try to focus on dinner, we’re never going to eat.”

Kris laughed, “Okay, okay, you’re right.” He poked Adam until Adam let him out from being pressed against the counter, and he could go back to searching through the refrigerator. 

Kris glanced over to watch Adam looking through his kitchen cupboards. It was still unbelievable that Adam – ‘A’ – was in his kitchen, about to help Kris cook dinner for two. 

 

“Oh, you won’t believe what happened when I was walking around earlier.”

Adam and Kris were sitting at Kris’ little kitchen table, sharing a big portion of spaghetti. Adam suddenly took on a thoughtful expression, smiling just a little.

“It’s still hard to believe that you were just walking around in plain sight without any disguise or anything,” Kris said as he slurped up some noodles from his fork. “But what? What happened?”

“Remember when we were on the rooftop while Parliament burned, and I tossed my mask over the ledge? Well, it looks like someone found it wherever it fell and picked it up. 

“I was a few blocks away from here, on my way back, when I saw this little girl. She was maybe nine. And she was running up and down the sidewalk…wearing my mask, and a long black coat tied around her shoulders, like a cape.” Adam paused, just staring into space with half a smile on his face as he remembered. Kris lowered his own fork, listening. 

“I basically froze in my tracks, watching her. I didn’t think it could really be my mask, but after watching for a minute, I could tell it was the exact one I dropped. Well, she eventually noticed me standing there. She kind of looked at me for a moment, and I was about to turn and walk away because I thought the scars might scare her. But before I could, she ran over to me. And she said to me ‘Hey Mister, whatever gave you your booboo, don’t worry because ‘A’s’ going to make it better.’ And then, she pointed…not at my face, but at my bandaged arm. Then, she turned and ran off again, her little cape swishing behind her.”

Kris and Adam were both silent for a minute, before Kris reached over to hold one of Adam’s hands on the table. 

Adam gave a tiny laugh that escaped him all in one breath. “I almost cried, Kris. Almost.” 

He squeezed Kris’ hand tightly. 

 

“So it looks like everything’s going to work out?”

Kris asked the question while he and Adam carried a box full of Adam’s books that they’d retrieved from his hideout down the stairs of Kris’ apartment building. Once they managed fitting it through the front door, they pushed it into the trunk of the little used car they’d bought. 

“It looks that way, yes,” Adam answered as they went back up the stairs for the next box. “I met with all the museum curators to offer them everything, and the prices I asked were hardly exorbitant, it’s just that there were so many different pieces, between the paintings and tapestries and figurines and even the armors, it all added up. And they agreed, everything was perfectly reasonable for so many pieces of such value. They received a government grant to purchase everything, which wasn’t a problem thanks to the government’s new attention for culture and history.”

“And what was your story again? About who you were?”

Adam cracked a grin. “That I was an art collector who kept everything locked up for years to protect it all, and I used to be an archeologist. The scars happened when a dig site caved in on me.”

Kris snorted in attempts to hold back his laughter. “I know I shouldn’t laugh…”

“It was pretty good, right?”

Carrying the next box down to the car, Kris asked, “So the new government’s allotting money for art and museums?”

“Yes, as they well should. All the signs seem promising so far, with the system that’s been set up. The citizen representatives that were elected are still trying to figure out the best way to organize themselves, but the city seems to be functioning commendably so far with the separate government committees they’ve set up, all dedicated to different areas. It sounds perfectly reasonable to me, this way there’s no body with centralized power where it can get to their heads.” They stacked the next box on top of the others in the trunk. “But I’m sure it’ll continue to be a developing process for a long time.”

“I have faith. I think it can all work out.”

“As do I,” Adam agreed with a light smile, sliding an arm around Kris as they went back inside. 

“And for us too,” Kris added. “I think we’ll be just fine. More than fine.”

Adam kissed the side of his head. “I don’t need faith for that. More than fine, for certain.”

“Even though we kind of have no idea what we’re doing,” Kris said with a hint of nervous laughter. “Just playing it by ear…heading wherever we end up.”

“It’s exciting, isn’t it? Impulsive? It certainly means we’re enjoying our freedom.”

“That’s for sure.” 

Kris started moving to pick up the next box, but Adam caught his wrist to keep him in place for a moment. “Actually,” Adam said, “I’ve been having some thoughts lately, about where we might end up.”

“Oh? What kind of thoughts?”

“Thoughts about…places far away, maybe across the ocean. About little houses, no bigger than what we really need, maybe in view of the sea.”

Kris looked speechless for a moment, his eyes wide. His voice went soft and reverent. “I’ve never seen the ocean before, cooped up in this city my whole life.”

“Well, then maybe we’ve found our destination?” Adam laced the fingers of both his hands with Kris’, holding their entwined hands between them. A smile erupted on Kris’ lips – one of the biggest and brightest Adam had ever enjoyed the pleasure of seeing.

“I think we can take the maybe out of it. That sounds just… just perfect.” Adam swore the beach sunlight was already shining from Kris’ smile. “I can’t imagine anything more different than this awful place we’ve spent our whole lives in. And I absolutely can’t wait.”

“Most people fear big change. But then again, you’ve always been one to surprise me, Kris Allen.”

Kris scoffed, yet still smiling as he leaned into Adam. “If you want to talk surprises, take a look at yourself. You’ve been the biggest surprise of my life, and you never stop getting better. Always practically sweeping me off my feet, again and again.”

“Again and again? Whew, it sounds like a high standard I have to maintain here, but I suppose I’m obligated to uphold the mantle.”

Kris leaned closer the last little bit, to land a kiss on Adam’s bare lips. He left another small brush of his lips over the scar tissue that crossed the corner of Adam’s mouth.

“Something tells me you won’t have any trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...aaand there it is. Wow, a year of work and it's all done already? How'd I get here so fast?!  
>  Actually, to be honest this fic became a much larger thing that I originally expected. I saw V For Vendetta for the first time last year and the gears started turning right away. I wanted to finish this in a few months maybe, but I kept thinking up new storylines and obsessively changing my outlines. I kept getting frustrated because the story on paper never quite seemed to match the epic universe in my head, but I kept tinkering and typing away until I could get it as close as I could. Not gonna lie, my obsession with this story was kind of like my personal version of 'A's' mission. Yeah, it was kind of bad... But now it's done! And I sincerely hope I was able to draw you guys into this world as much as it drew me in. Thank you so much to everyone who read, and for your lovely comments. Every one seriously means so much to me. I love hearing what you guys think, and would love your feedback on the ending because believe me, it took a while to decide on this one. There were so many different things going through my head for the end (most of them venturing down the path of sad endings, but I for one really hate sad endings and didn't want to do that to my fic baby here), and it's very possible I'll come back to add an alternate ending, or another epilogue down the road.  
> Thanks again, and I hope to talk to you guys again soon with a new project! :)


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